Sometimes an inspector comes. There is nothing to be afraid of. The inspection is there to protect consumers, and anyone who works according to their procedures has nothing to hide. Here you will learn how an inspection works and what you should do.
Who inspects?
Official controls are carried out by the municipality's environment and health protection department or similar (the inspection authority), in some cases by the county administrative board (länsstyrelsen), and by the Swedish Food Agency for certain businesses, for example slaughterhouses. For most restaurants, cafés, shops and catering kitchens it is the municipality. Rules on controls are found in, among other places, Regulation (EU) 2017/625, the Food Act and the Food Ordinance.
How often and how?
- How often a business is inspected depends on the risk in the business and on how well it has complied with the rules in the past.
- The basic principle in the EU rules is that the inspection is to be carried out without prior notice (article 9.4 of Regulation 2017/625). The authority can give notice when this is justified in order for the inspection to be carried out.
- The inspection authority has the right of access to the premises and to obtain information and documents.
- The business pays a fee for the inspection. The municipality sets the fee, often as an hourly rate according to the time the inspection takes.
What does the inspector look at?
The inspector goes through both the premises and the procedures. The Swedish Food Agency's guidance suggests that the inspector, among other things:
- interviews staff about tasks and knowledge, or asks them to show how they do things
- asks how new and temporary staff learn
- checks that staff know about allergens
- looks at temperatures, cleaning, pests, waste and labelling
- reads the self-checks and the documentation
How to prepare
- Work every day as if the inspector were there.
- Know the procedures for your part: how you wash your hands, measure temperature, clean and handle allergens.
- Be honest. If you do not know something, say so and refer to your manager. Do not make things up.
- Do show how you do things in practice.
- The manager or the person responsible should be present if possible.
- You must not remove, hide or change lists and documents.
When something is wrong: deviations
Shortcomings that the inspector finds are called deviations. The measures must be proportionate to the shortcoming. They can be:
- advice and information if the shortcoming is minor
- an order (föreläggande), that is, a decision that the business must put something right within a certain time. It can be combined with a conditional fine (vite), an amount that must be paid if the decision is not followed
- a prohibition, in serious cases closing the business in whole or in part
- a sanction fee, for example when a business has started without notification for registration
What happens afterwards?
The business receives a report or record of what was found. The person responsible must put the shortcomings right and show it if necessary. After an order there is often a new inspection, and such an extra inspection normally also costs a fee.
Guests and complaints
If a guest becomes ill or complains, take it seriously and tell your manager. If possible, keep the remains of the suspect food and note what was served. Suspected outbreaks can be investigated by the municipality together with the infection control service.
Summary of the course
The law places the responsibility on the business, and you are an important part of it. Stay healthy or stay at home, wash your hands, keep raw and ready-to-eat apart, keep an eye on temperature, clean, be careful with allergens and write down what you are supposed to write down. Ask when you are unsure.