What Does a Health Inspector Look For? A Restaurant Checklist

A health inspector walks into your kitchen with a short list of things that actually make people sick, and a longer list of things that make those problems more likely. Knowing which is which takes most of the stress out of an inspection. The visit is not a white glove test of your floors. It is a check of temperatures, hands, surfaces and records.

If you want the career side, read how to become a health inspector. This guide is the operator side: what inspectors look for, how violations are scored, what they ask your staff, and a checklist you can run yourself every week.

The rules most inspectors enforce come from the FDA Food Code 2022 as adopted by your state, and the risk factors come from the CDC's foodborne illness research. Local forms differ, so compare this list to your own health department's inspection report.

Food inspector vs health inspector

The titles overlap. In most cities the person who inspects restaurants is a health inspector, sanitarian or environmental health specialist employed by the county or city health department. They enforce the state food code at retail: restaurants, food trucks, caterers, grocery stores and schools.

"Food inspector" is broader. It can mean the same local inspector, but it also covers USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors in meat and poultry plants, FDA investigators at manufacturers, and state agriculture department inspectors at processors and farms. Those inspectors work under federal rules like 9 CFR 417 or the FSMA preventive controls rule rather than the Food Code.

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For a restaurant, the health inspector is the one who matters. If you run a specialized process like sous vide or curing, that same inspector will ask to see your written plan, which is covered in when a HACCP plan is required.

How a health inspector runs a restaurant inspection

A routine inspection usually happens without notice during operating hours. The inspector identifies themselves, asks for the person in charge, and walks the operation. They observe practices, take temperatures, look at records and ask staff questions. At the end they review findings with the person in charge and leave a report.

Many jurisdictions also do follow-up inspections to confirm corrections, complaint inspections after a customer report, and pre-opening inspections for new businesses or remodels.

Priority, priority foundation and core items

The Food Code labels each provision:

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Under the Food Code, priority violations are to be corrected at the time of inspection or within 72 hours, and priority foundation violations within 10 calendar days, unless the regulatory authority specifies otherwise. Core violations are corrected by a time the regulator sets. Local rules may differ, and some jurisdictions use letter grades or scores instead.

The health inspection food safety checklist

1. Management and person in charge

• A person in charge is present during all hours of operation.
• The person in charge can show knowledge of food safety, for example by answering questions about cooking temperatures, employee health and the major food allergens.
• A certified food protection manager is on staff where required by your code.
• The food establishment permit is posted where required.

2. Employee health

• Staff know to report symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, and infected cuts or wounds.
• Staff know to report diagnoses of the illnesses listed in the Food Code, including norovirus, hepatitis A, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella Typhi and nontyphoidal Salmonella.
• The person in charge excludes or restricts ill workers as required.
• There is a written employee health policy, or staff have signed a reporting agreement.
• There are procedures for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea.

3. Handwashing and bare hand contact

• Handwashing sinks are accessible, not blocked, and used only for handwashing.
• Each has soap, paper towels or a hand dryer, and a handwashing sign.
• Hot and cold water are available.
• Staff wash hands at the right times: after raw meat, after the restroom, after touching face or hair, before putting on gloves, and when changing tasks.
• No bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food, unless your health department has approved an alternative procedure.
• Gloves are changed between tasks.

4. Approved sources

• Food comes from approved, licensed suppliers.
• Shellstock tags are kept for 90 days after the container is emptied.
• Fish served raw has parasite destruction records where required.
• Receiving temperatures are checked and recorded. See the receiving temperature log.
• Food is in good condition: no damaged cans, no signs of pests.

5. Cooking temperatures

Inspectors may probe food on the line or ask a cook to.

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USDA's safe minimum internal temperature chart gives consumer guidance that differs in places; for your kitchen, follow your Food Code.

• Cooks have and use thermometers.
• Cooking is logged where the plan requires.

6. Cooling

• Cooked TCS food cools from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours and to 41°F within 6 hours total.
• Food is cooled in shallow pans, ice baths, or other effective methods, not in deep stockpots in the walk-in.
• Cooling logs are kept. See food cooling rules 135 70 41 and the cooling log.

7. Reheating

• TCS food cooked, cooled and reheated for hot holding reaches 165°F for 15 seconds within 2 hours. See reheating food to 165.

8. Holding

• Hot TCS food at 135°F or above.
• Cold TCS food at 41°F or below.
• If using time as a public health control, written procedures are on site and food is marked with discard times. See time as a public health control.
• Holding temperatures are checked and logged. See cold holding vs hot holding temperatures.

9. Date marking

• Ready-to-eat TCS food held more than 24 hours is marked with the date by which it must be used or discarded, not more than 7 days including the day of preparation, at 41°F or below.
• Food past its date is discarded. See food code date marking.

10. Cross-contamination

• Raw animal foods are stored below and away from ready-to-eat foods.
• Raw meats are stored by cooking temperature, with poultry on the bottom.
• Separate cutting boards or cleaning and sanitizing between raw and ready-to-eat.
• Food is covered in storage.
• Allergens are controlled. See the food allergen control plan.

11. Cleaning and sanitizing

• Sanitizer buckets are at the right concentration, checked with test strips.
• Dish machine reaches the right temperature or sanitizer concentration.
• Three-compartment sink is set up correctly.
• Food contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized at the right times, and at least every 4 hours during continuous use.
• Test strips are available. See the sanitation SOP for restaurants.

12. Thermometers

• Probe thermometers are available, accurate and calibrated. See the thermometer calibration log.
• Refrigeration units have thermometers.

13. Consumer advisory

• Menus with raw or undercooked animal foods have a disclosure and reminder as required by the Food Code.

14. Chemicals and pests

• Chemicals are labeled and stored away from food.
• No evidence of pests.
• Outer openings are protected.

15. Facilities

• Floors, walls and ceilings are clean and in good repair.
• Restrooms are clean and supplied.
• Garbage is managed.
• Equipment is clean and in good repair.

16. HACCP plans and variances

• If you do reduced oxygen packaging, curing, smoking, acidifying sushi rice, sous vide or any process needing a variance, the HACCP plan is on site and records are current. See HACCP variance requirements.

The risk factors inspectors care about most

CDC and FDA have long identified five broad risk factors for foodborne illness in restaurants: food from unsafe sources, inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment and poor personal hygiene. Most priority items on an inspection form map to one of these. When time is short, check these first.

A printable daily self-inspection

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The manager on duty walks the kitchen with this sheet before service and fixes anything that fails.

Questions inspectors ask staff

Inspectors often ask staff questions to check knowledge. Prepare your team for:

• "What temperature do you cook chicken to?"
• "How do you know the sanitizer is strong enough?"
• "What do you do if you have diarrhea before a shift?"
• "How long can this be kept?"
• "How do you cool this soup?"
• "What are the major allergens?"
• "Where is the thermometer? Can you show me how you calibrate it?"

Answers do not need to be perfect, but staff should know their part. See HACCP training for restaurant staff.

Walk your kitchen the way an inspector does

Inspectors tend to follow the food. Try the same route once a week, slowly, with a thermometer and a flashlight.

Back door and receiving. Is the door closed and sealed? Are deliveries left sitting on the dock? Is there a receiving log near the door with today's entries?

Dry storage. Is food stored at least 6 inches off the floor? Are bulk bins labeled? Are there droppings behind shelving? Are chemicals on a separate shelf below and away from food?

Walk-in cooler. Read the unit thermometer, then probe a product near the door and one at the back. Look at the shelving order: ready-to-eat on top, raw poultry on the bottom. Check date marks on every container of prepped food. Look for uncovered pans and for food cooling in deep containers.

Prep area. Is the handwashing sink clear and stocked? Are cutting boards clean and in good condition, without deep grooves? What is the sanitizer bucket reading? Are prepped items in the reach-in labeled?

Cook line. Probe something on the steam table and something in the prep cooler. Ask a cook to show you their thermometer and tell you the cooking temperature for chicken. Look at the cooking log.

Dish area. Check the dish machine gauge or chemical level. Look at how clean dishes are stored. Check the three-compartment sink setup.

Restrooms and staff area. Soap, towels, a handwashing sign, and staff belongings kept away from food.

Outside. Dumpster lids closed, area clean, grease bin covered.

Write down what you find, fix it, and look again next week. Over a few weeks the list of findings should get shorter.

Busy-season risks

Some problems show up mainly at certain times of year or on busy days:

• Summer heat. Walk-ins and prep coolers struggle to hold 41°F when the kitchen is hot and doors open constantly. Check them more often in hot weather.
• Holidays and big events. Larger batches mean more cooling problems. Plan cooling space before the rush.
• New staff. Seasonal hires may not know your procedures. Train them before their first shift and watch closely in the first week.
• Outdoor events. Hot and cold holding is harder outdoors. Bring extra thermometers and plan for ice.

Knowing when risk goes up lets you add checks at the right time instead of everywhere all the time.

Keep your documents ready

When the inspector arrives, it helps to have these in one place, such as a labeled binder in the office:

• food establishment permit
• certified food protection manager certificate
• employee health policy and signed reporting agreements
• HACCP plan and any variance letter
• current month of logs: receiving, cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, calibration, sanitizer
• corrective action log
• last inspection report and proof of corrections
• pest control service reports
• shellstock tags and parasite destruction records if you serve raw shellfish or raw fish

The most common problems

Inspection reports across many jurisdictions tend to show the same issues, though exact rankings vary by place and year:

• Cold holding above 41°F, especially in prep coolers that are opened often.
• Improper cooling, especially large batches.
• Handwashing sinks blocked or unstocked.
• Missing date marks.
• Sanitizer too weak or too strong.
• Raw food stored above ready-to-eat food.
• No thermometer or an uncalibrated one.

Using past inspection reports

Your past reports are a free list of what your inspector cares about. Pull the last three, list every finding, and mark which ones came back more than once. Repeat findings deserve a fixed cause, not another quick fix on the day: a new gasket on the cooler that keeps running warm, a second handwashing sink station, or a new cooling method. Many health departments publish inspection results online, so customers may read them too. Fixing repeat issues protects both your guests and your reputation.

What to do during the inspection

• Be polite and cooperative. Walk with the inspector.
• Take notes. Write down each finding.
• Correct on site where possible, such as discarding food that is out of temperature or restocking soap. Corrections made during the inspection are usually noted.
• Ask questions if you do not understand a finding.
• Sign the report to acknowledge receipt. Signing usually does not mean you agree; ask if unsure.

After the inspection

• Fix each finding and record what was done.
• Look for the cause, not just the symptom. If cold holding failed, was it the unit, the door being propped, or overloading?
• Retrain staff where needed.
• Update your HACCP plan or SOPs if needed.
• Prepare for a follow-up inspection if one is required.

How a HACCP plan helps

A HACCP plan does not replace the inspection, but it gives you a structure for the things inspectors care about most: cooking, cooling, reheating, holding and the records for each. When an inspector asks how you cool chili, you can show the plan, the cooling log and the corrective actions. See HACCP plan for restaurant and free logs.

Getting ready for a first inspection

New restaurants, food trucks and caterers usually have a pre-opening inspection before the permit is issued. Typical things checked include:

• equipment approved for commercial use
• handwashing sinks in the right places
• proper three-compartment sink or dish machine
• hot and cold water at required temperatures
• adequate refrigeration
• plans for any specialized processes
• certified food protection manager where required

Contact your health department early. Many require plan review before construction. See the food truck HACCP plan.

Inspections for food trucks and caterers

Mobile units and caterers face the same core items plus a few extras. Food truck inspectors often check the commissary agreement, the water tank and waste tank capacity, the generator location and whether hot and cold holding equipment works on the road. Caterers may be asked how food is transported, how long it travels and how temperatures are checked at the event. Keep transport logs with the event sheet. See the HACCP plan for catering.

Keeping the checklist alive

A checklist works only if someone uses it every day. Tips that help:

• Assign it. Name the person who does the walk-through on each shift.
• Keep it short. The one-page version above takes about ten minutes.
• Fix, then record. The goal is to find and fix problems, not to fill in boxes.
• Review weekly. Look for patterns in the notes column.
• Rotate the walker. Different eyes catch different problems.

Make the next inspection routine

Every item on the checklist traces back to a past outbreak, which is why food regulations are important.

The kitchens that pass easily are the ones that already run the inspector's checks themselves. A written HACCP plan and daily logs show the inspector your controls before they open the cooler. The HACCP plan builder creates the plan and the free logs, including a restaurant temperature log. Your first process is free, and the plan is a draft for your health department to review.

Frequently asked questions

What does a health inspector look for first?

Most start with the risk factors: temperatures, handwashing, cross contamination, sanitizer and employee health. These priority items carry the most weight.

Is a food inspector the same as a health inspector?

Usually. Local health departments call them health inspectors, environmental health specialists or sanitarians. Food inspector can also mean a USDA or FDA inspector at a plant.

How often does a health inspector visit a restaurant?

Often one to three times a year depending on risk category, plus follow-ups and complaint visits. Higher-risk menus get more visits.

Can I refuse a health inspection?

No. Permit holders must allow access during operating hours under the Food Code. Refusing can lead to permit suspension.