Seven things the health inspector is most likely to flag
Contents
Once the operating licence comes through, many people treat that as the finish line. But the licence confirms that your equipment met the standards at the time of opening. After that come periodic on-site inspections, and what they look at is whether you are running things as required, day to day.
Where problems get flagged, it is rarely because equipment is lacking. Far more often it is because nobody knew a record was required, or the work is being done but nothing is left to show for it. Below are the points most commonly checked.
1. Temperature records
Refrigerator and freezer temperatures need to be checked regularly and recorded. Being asked “may I see your temperature records?” and having no answer is a common scene.
What matters isn’t buying an expensive thermometer, but that someone looks every day and someone writes it down. A paper sheet taped to the fridge is entirely sufficient.
2. A hygiene control plan in line with HACCP
Since June 2021, hygiene control in line with HACCP has been mandatory for all food business operators. Small-scale premises may use a simplified approach based on published handbooks, but having a written plan and having implementation records are both unavoidable.
Tip
Sector-specific handbooks are produced by each industry association and published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Find the one matching your sector and fill it in — you don’t need to write a plan from scratch. Asking the public health centre which one applies is the fastest route.
3. Hand-washing facilities
Whether there is a dedicated hand-washing facility, and whether soap and paper towels are stocked. “We use the washing-up sink for hands as well” is a textbook finding.
4. Storage and labelling of ingredients
- Whether opened ingredients are labelled (opening date and so on)
- Whether raw and cooked items are stored separately
- Whether anything is placed directly on the floor (it should be kept off the ground)
- How use-by and best-before dates are managed
5. Staff health management
Whether health checks are recorded, and whether stool testing is carried out. Frequency and who it applies to are directed by your local public health centre and differ by area.
6. Pest control
Measures against rodents and insects, and records of their implementation. Keeping the contractor’s work reports is the most direct evidence you can have.
7. Appointing and displaying the food hygiene supervisor
Each premises needs one appointed food hygiene supervisor, and the certificate must be displayed somewhere visible in the shop. The person changed but the display wasn’t updated; the certificate is in a drawer — both get flagged.
The common thread: is there a record?
Of the seven points above, almost none cost money. The overwhelming majority of findings are cases where the work is in fact being done, but there is no record to show it. Inspectors look at records, not at your verbal explanation.
Where to start
Copy this out and put it up in the kitchen
□ Fridge / freezer temperature record (daily) □ Hygiene control plan (handbook-based) + implementation records □ Dedicated hand-washing facility, soap, paper towels □ Opening dates labelled / raw and cooked separated / nothing on the floor □ Staff health check records □ Pest control implementation records □ Food hygiene supervisor's certificate on display
Newly opened premises are typically inspected some time after opening. Rather than waiting to be told, it is safer to work through the above before you open — and call the public health centre directly about anything unclear. Their role is guidance rather than punishment, and asking costs you nothing.
※ This article is general explanation. Specific equipment standards, record-keeping methods and inspection items are set by each prefecture's ordinances and are not uniform nationwide. Please confirm with your local public health centre before and after opening, and follow their guidance.