Food business owners – what to expect from a food hygiene inspection
As the owner of a food business, you have certain responsibilities in relation to maintaining high standards of food hygiene and safety. Not only do you risk the health of your customers if you neglect these responsibilities; but you also face the wrath of the authorities.
To ensure that all food safety regulations are being met, councils carry out regular inspections of business and premises which serve, prepare, manufacture or distribute food products. To prepare for these inspections, your business should:
- Keep standards high at all times – most environmental health inspections are unannounced, so don’t get caught out
- Treat every customer as if he or she was a food safety inspector
- Pay attention to customer complaints – they may often lead to an inspection if reported to the council, so make sure you take customer feedback seriously and act on it where necessary
- Make sure all of your staff have undergone food hygiene awareness training
- Conduct regular reviews of all food safety basics, from safe food storage to the importance hand washing
- Clean your whole premises thoroughly every few weeks, as well as keeping up with daily cleanliness and hygiene tasks.