What are your Health Inspections like?

By: Wyman Philbrook – Philbrook F & B Consulting and Training

Someone with a roll of labels and a marker runs to the walk-in to feverishly date every inanimate object on a shelf with today’s date and the time –10:30am. Another staff member feverishly scribbles numbers on the temperature log so that the last week now reflects that the refrigerator has been maintaining a constant 40 degrees. A cook runs off to fill sanitizer buckets from the dispenser. The chef moves the 4 frozen turkeys that have been defrosting on the counter since 7am to the walk-in. The Sous-chef glares at the cook who is mixing the ground beef for tonight’s meatloaf – with his bare hands (and through unique telepathic powers wills him to stop, wash his hands and put on gloves).

None of the above actions may occur in your operation, but if you have spent any amount of time in the retail food business some of them must give you reason to pause, shake your head, roll your eyes and smile as an image from your past suddenly reappears.

When you meet the inspector at the front and start to escort him into your operation, do you do it with quiet confidence or a sense of dread every time you walk around a corner or open a refrigerator?

Are you ready for that inspector at anytime no matter what has happened – employee call-outs, equipment going down etc.? Food safety is a proactive action, but too many operations are reactive, and then often complain about the inspector’s findings and the need to prepare for re-inspection.

Being proactive involves training employees to do the right things starting from their first day on the job, and just as important re-enforcing the standards every day. It is always amazing to see employees suddenly demonstrate their food safety knowledge when an inspector enters the facility, but not apply it in the everyday operation.

You are your operations’ main health inspector, and no matter what your business volumes are, do not walk by a health issue – stop and correct it. Use it as a training opportunity. Do not give unspoken approval to actions that you know are wrong. Your employees will respect you more if you demonstrate your food safety knowledge and are consistent in enforcing health standards every day, not just when an inspector arrives. The walk-through should not be spent sweating and worrying every time the inspector inserts a thermometer into a food item or writes something on their clipboard. Use the time with your inspector productively, to ask questions, get clarifications, and give them insight into procedures you are thinking of implementing and be proud of the proactive steps you are taking. Your inspections can be a rewarding educational experience between professionals or as painful as a root canal. Treat your inspector as your partner addressing the same goal – the health of your customers & your staff.