Did you know that approximately 48 million Americans contract a foodborne illness in a given year? Plus, 128,000 of those people end up in hospitals, with as many as 3,000 dying?
A food inspection aims to lower these numbers and make sure that the food and conditions meet a sanitation standard. To learn more about food audits and food safety, keep reading.
What Happens During an FDA Inspection
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures that contaminated products do not reach consumers. An Investigations Operations Manual has all of the requirements to be FDA compliant. In addition, the FDA reviews and samples ingredients and finished products. They also evaluate the food processing environment.
Your restaurant can be inspected routinely or as a response to a reported problem. The inspection consists of 56 items, ranging from observing your staff, asking about a quality control policy, looking over any recall or rejection reports, and reviewing training procedures.
After the inspection, the inspector will meet with management to review the findings and note any issues. Post-inspection, you'll receive a letter from the FDA explaining the results and marking the errors. You will also receive a timeline for when all corrections should be made.
Your restaurant will also receive a grade to display in view of the public, meaning the following:
- A: clean, up to code, and free of violations
- B: some issues that must need correction
- C: public risk and on the verge of closure
What Foods Are Undergo USDA Inspection
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ensures that meat, poultry, Siluriformes, and eggs are safe, correctly labeled, and packaged. The inspection also makes sure that the plant meets sanitation and processing standards.
The USDA prevents as many as 25,000 foodborne illnesses a year due to standards set for Salmonella and Campylobacter, which is another poultry bacteria. The administration also makes sure that there are sanitary practices in place to process beef carcasses.
The USDA also established a "test and hold" policy in 2012 to prevent the recall of unsafe foods. This policy makes it so that facilities must hold products until microbiological testing is performed to determine if it's safe to release. There is also a zero-tolerance policy for six additional strains of E.coli to prevent the pathogens from reaching the general public.
Food Safety Mistakes to Avoid
Food safety is essential in all facets of the food industry. Common food safety mistakes include not washing your hands enough and improper food preparation. Other errors include improper cleaning and sanitation, including bugs and dirty dish rags.
Avoid Failing a Food Inspection
Food safety is essential not only to keep you in business but to keep your customers healthy. From how you prep to the cleanliness of your restaurant, it's important to have procedures to ensure you pass your FDA or USDA food inspection.
If you would like training or consulting on food and alcohol safety, visit our website today.