Food Hygiene Inspections
Businesses that produce or prepare food for the public are inspected to make sure that their food is safe to eat. How often inspectors visit will depend on the type of business and its previous record. Some premises are inspected at least every 6 months, others less often.
If you produce or prepare food for the public, Regulation EC(No) 852/2004 (Hygiene on Food Stuffs), requires you to:
- identify potential food hazards
- decide which of these hazards need to be controlled to make sure food is safe
- put in place effective control and monitoring procedures to stop these hazards causing harm to consumers
- keep written records of your monitoring
- review your hazards and monitoring procedures regularly.
Further information on what is expected from you can be found here.
Officers will also inspect and consider compliance with Food Hygiene and Safety procedures (including food handling practices and procedures, and temperature control). It will also look at the structure of the establishment (including cleanliness, layout, condition of structure, lighting, ventilation, pest control, facilities etc.).
EnforcementOur officers will look at how the business runs to identify potential hazards and to make sure that businesses are following the law. When officers think it is needed, they can take enforcement action to protect the public. Actions range from an informal request for improvement through to seizing foods or serving emergency prohibition notices, which can close a business immediately. | Food Hygiene RatingsFood businesses are given a rating following a routine food hygiene inspection. The rating shows how well a business is complying with food hygiene law at the time of the inspection. |
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