Inspection of Food Premises

Officers from Environmental Health ensure food safety in a number of ways:

• Checking the standard of premises where food is prepared
• Monitoring the processes used to prepare food
• Providing free advice to food businesses about premises, equipment or processes
• Training and educating food handlers. 
• Using the law to require food businesses to improve their premises or processes
• Using the law to prohibit food premises or processes begin used.

Officers regularly visit food premises to inspect the standard of operation.  Visits are planned and organised using a priority system, which is based on the potential risk posed by the nature of the operation carried out in the premises.  High risk premises include hospital kitchens, food manufactures and large catering establishments.  Low risk premises include small retailers of packaged foods.  Most food premises are of a medium risk.  Around 80,000 inspections in food premises are carried out by officers in Scotland each year, as food must be protected from the risk of contamination.