← Back to resources

The first 5 minutes of a food hygiene inspection

Natalie Stanton

Sponsor EHO Insider

EHO Story 📩

People often ask me what happens during a food hygiene inspection.

The truth is, EHOs can often get a feel for how things are going within the first few minutes.

One of the first things I’ll usually do?

Wash my hands.

So if I get to the hand wash basin and there’s no soap.

No paper towels.

Or the hand wash basin is full of dirty equipment.

That’s not a great start.

Then I’ll usually start looking around.

I’ll check things like food storage areas, cleaning standards and whether the premises and equipment appears to be in good condition.

And yes, I’ll probably check temperatures too.

I may take the temperature of some fridges myself.

And I might ask a team member to show me how they check and record temperatures.

I’m not trying to catch anyone out.

I’m trying to understand what happens in practice.

That’s really what an inspection is about.

Food Safety Tip ✅

Food hygiene inspections aren’t just about paperwork.

And they’re not about catching people out.

They’re about confidence.

Can the business demonstrate that food safety is being managed properly?

The businesses that do best are usually the ones where food safety is simply part of how they operate every day.

This week’s action 🔍

If an EHO turned up today, could your team confidently show:

  • How they check temperatures?
  • Where temperature records are kept?
  • What they would do if something wasn’t right?
  • How they report a problem?

Take a few minutes this week to check. If your team isn’t sure, identify what needs to improve.