The Basics

The Food and Drug Administration is the organization that will perform health inspections. These health inspections are designed to protect consumers from food-borne illness. FDA food code varies by state and by county, so it is best to check your local codes.

Additional info can be found or requested at: http://www.fda.gov/

The Different Types of Health Inspections

Routine Inspection: These visits are unannounced and also the most common. The inspector will look at all aspects of the business and determine cleanliness. These inspections are often very detailed and cover everything from employee cleanliness and hand-washing habits, to garbage can lids, to cooking and food prep surfaces.

Complaint Inspection: These occur when a consumer has fallen ill or complained of staff uncleanliness, etc. The inspection is to protect the restaurant from false allegations regarding lack of cleanliness, but it is important to note that the inspectors will often be incredibly thorough during these inspections.

Follow-up Inspection: If a complaint is filled and found (via a complaint inspection) to be justified, then there will be a time-frame given to correct these issues. After this time there will be another inspection these follow-ups should be seriously as non-compliance can result in everything from grade reduction, to fines, to being shut down.

The Inspector

Health inspectors may be representatives of local, state, or federal levels. Most health inspectors have a background in food service and are trained specifically to locate and identify septic conditions. The health inspector should be expected to perform the following tasks:

-Collect samples of potentially contaminated surfaces or product in an attempt to isolate the source of an infection.
-Issue citations and fines in cases of serious violation.
-Perform inspections to ensure restaurants abide by local, state, and federal food service law.
-Educate restaurant owners and staff on safe food handling and food preparation.
-Prepare and publish reports regarding the cleanliness of restaurants and make them available online or as a public record.