Food monitoring

The main task of food safety inspection is to monitor premises that produce, handle or place food on the market. These include, for example, restaurants, snack bars, cafés, ice-cream parlours, hotel kitchens, canteens, bakeries and butchers. However, care homes, nurseries, schools, retail outlets, petrol stations and public events such as livestock markets are also included. Businesses that manufacture, handle or place on the market cosmetic products, consumer goods (such as crockery, toys and clothing) and tobacco products are also subject to monitoring.

In addition to general hygiene and the structural condition of the premises, the inspections also cover staff and production hygiene, compliance with temperature requirements, traceability and pest management. In this context, the examination of documentation also plays a major role. Particular attention must be paid to the businesses’ own internal controls, and labelling – such as labels and menus – must also be checked. For example, checks are carried out to ensure that the products on offer are genuinely cooked ham, cheese or juice, and that they are correctly labelled. It may happen, for example, that a product advertised on the menu as ‘cooked ham’ is in fact a ‘moulded meat product’. Whilst this would not pose a health risk, it would constitute misleading labelling.

Other duties include:

• Sampling of official samples of foodstuffs, cosmetic products, consumer goods and tobacco products. These are product samples that are either taken as part of a scheduled sampling plan or are taken on the basis of suspicion or for the purposes of investigation.
• Receiving consumer complaints and, where appropriate, samples relating to such complaints
• Monitoring and initiating product recalls
• Responses to consumer enquiries
• Advice for business owners. If, for example, you are planning to open a snack bar, we have put together some information sheets here. We are also happy to offer advice.