Hygiene inspections

Officers from the Food and Environmental Safety Service carry out routine unannounced food hygiene inspections of all food premises registered within Wolverhampton. The inspections are carried out to ensure compliance with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2005 and associated regulations.

How frequent are inspections undertaken?

The frequency of inspections are determined by a number of factors which include; type of food prepared at the premises, the number of customers supplied, the track record of the business, confidence in management and compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures and structure.

The frequency of inspection ranges from a minimum of every 6 months, 12 months, 18 months or 2 years.  Revisits may be made in between these time periods to check that required works have been undertaken.  

If minimal food is produced it may have been deemed unnecessary for an inspection to be undertaken. 

What should I expect from an inspection?

Officers will look at how you operate your business to identify potential hazards and to make sure that your business is following the law. They will do this by not only looking at the structure of the premises, but referring to documentation and asking questions of both the proprietor/s of the business and staff members. 

Officers carry out visits or inspections at a reasonable time and should show identification when they arrive.

Officers will give you verbal feedback throughout or at the end of the inspection and will write to you following the inspection.

Additional visits may be made to the premises to investigate complaints or to provide advice.

As well as a food hygiene inspection officers may also carry out a food standards or health and safety inspection.

What action can officers take following an inspection?

Inspectors can take the following 'enforcement action' to protect the public during or following an inspection:

• Write to the business formally asking for legal requirements to be put right and provide 'best practice' advice.
• Carry out one or more revisits to ensure that required works have been undertaken.
• Serve an 'Improvement Notice' if there is a serious or ongoing breach of the law. The Notice will set out what needs to be done by a specific date.
• Take samples and photographs of food and documentation.
• Detain or seize suspect foods.
• Serve an 'emergency prohibition notice' which forbids the use of certain processes, premises or equipment if an imminent risk to health is noted (this notice must be confirmed by a court)
• Take evidence with a recommendation to prosecute, in serious cases.

Proprietors of the business will always be advised of the course of action that has been decided by the officer.

Further information

For further information or to contact the Food and Environmental Safety Service please see the Standards of Service.