What does an EHO check on inspection day?
By the Daybook teamPublished 20 October 2026Last checked 20 October 2026
Covers: All four UK nations, with differences noted
The short answer
An EHO (a local authority food safety officer) checks how you handle, store and prepare food, the condition and cleanliness of your premises, and how you manage food safety, including your records and training. They can visit without warning, so the best preparation is records that are always up to date.
The three things that decide your rating
GOV.UK lists three areas an inspection looks at. Your food hygiene rating is based on how well you meet the law in each.
| Area | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Handling, storing and preparing food | Temperatures, cross-contamination, cooking, cooling, date labels, hand washing |
| Condition of the premises | Cleanliness, repair, pest-proofing, hand-wash basins, ventilation, waste |
| Managing food safety | Your food safety management system, records, training, and whether the officer is confident you’ll keep standards up |
What they may ask to see
- Your food safety management system: a Safer Food Better Business pack, CookSafe in Scotland, Safe Catering in Northern Ireland, or your own HACCP plan
- Your diary or daily records since the last visit
- Fridge, freezer and hot-holding temperature records
- Cleaning schedules and records
- Pest control records and contractor reports
- Staff training records
- Allergen information for the food you serve
- Supplier and delivery records
What happens during the visit
Officers can come at any reasonable time, often without notice. They’ll walk the kitchen and store areas, watch how food is handled, ask staff questions, and look at your records. They may take photos or samples. At the end they’ll usually talk you through what they found, and you’ll get a written report.
How often you’re inspected depends on the risk your business carries. Higher-risk businesses are visited more often.
If something is wrong
Most problems are dealt with by advice and a written list of what to fix. For more serious breaches an officer can serve a hygiene improvement notice with a deadline. Where there’s an imminent risk to health, the council can close a business with an emergency prohibition notice, which must be confirmed by a court.
How to be ready every day
- Fill in records at the time, not at the end of the week
- Keep everything in one place anyone on shift can find
- Make sure staff can explain the checks they do
- Fix small things (a missing soap dispenser, a torn seal) as soon as you see them
Our free inspection day checklist lists every record to have ready and where it lives.
Free template
Inspection day checklist (PDF)
Sources
- GOV.UK: food hygiene ratings
- GOV.UK: food safety management systems
- GOV.UK: Safer food, better business (SFBB)
Rules can change and differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Check with your local authority food safety team if you’re unsure. Daybook helps you keep records. It does not give legal advice or certify training.
Keep this record on your phone
Inspection record, signed and dated.
Daybook is the food safety diary for UK kitchens. Staff sign each check on their own iPhone; the office reads the week and makes an inspection record for any dates.