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Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - banner - both - 08.25

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Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Catch of the Season - skyscraper - both - 07.22

McCain - Takeout and Delivery Menu Ideas - banner - both - 05.20

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - skyscraper - both - 09.24

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Cargill - Truvia Serve America's Best-Selling Stevia Sweetener - skyscraper - both - 03.19

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Essity - Clean Dry Hands - banner - OE - 03.17

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This Soup Can Do That Mushroom Dijon Chicken - both - skyscraper - 10.03.25

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This Soup Can Do That Chicken Noodle - both - skyscraper - 10.03.25

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Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - skyscraper - both - 04.19

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No two restaurant inspections are exactly alike, and depending on the type of operation, the inspector may focus on different priorities. They may include specialized requirements for health-care-related kitchens or how hot-holding practices are dealt with at operations such as buffet restaurants or cafeterias.
How inspections work in the real world
During the <a href="https://restaurant.org/" target="_blank">National Restaurant Association&rsquo;s</a> recent talk, <a href="https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5040988/C8A6DFD96A15DD347611D265DB34726E?partnerref=restaurant" target="_blank">&ldquo;Food Safety in Focus: How Context Shapes Inspection Priorities,&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;Patrick Guzzle, Association Vice President of Food Science and Industry; Craig Geddes, Consultation and Training Officer for the Oregon Health Authority; and Cassandra Thompson, Environmental Health Supervisor for the Mecklenburg County Government in Charlotte, N.C., discussed how inspections work in real-world environments and what they mean for restaurant operators. They covered three main points:
<ol>
<li>How inspection protocols are applied across different settings</li>
<li>Common pitfalls operators should avoid; and</li>
<li>Context-specific considerations that every kitchen should be prepared for</li>
</ol>
&ldquo;The concept of food safety shouldn&rsquo;t change whether you&rsquo;re in the biggest city or in the most isolated, rural town,&rdquo; Guzzle said. &ldquo;They are the same, but what can change is the context in which that inspection takes place.&rdquo; He further noted that it depends on whether the inspectors are seeing a lot of food prep and cooking activity going on in the kitchen or not.
Taking the right approach
According to Thompson, during restaurant inspections, the county of Mecklenburg uses a risk-based approach featuring guidance provided by the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration. It consists of a 2- to 5-minute walkthrough of the kitchen where the inspector prioritizes the risk factors he or she has observed, from highest risk to lowest. &ldquo;When we first walk into a restaurant, we introduce ourselves, take a quick look at the menu, and wait on the person in charge or the manager to come and greet us,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Then, we start asking questions. &lsquo;Are you cooking anything today? Are you cooling anything? Is anything in the process of reheating? Did you receive any food today?&rsquo; If the answer to any of these is yes, that becomes our top priority and then we can prioritize everything else we see during the quick walkthrough. Later, as part of a general, final sweep through the facility, we identify and address the less critical violations.&rdquo;
She added that the biggest food safety risk factors are:
<ul>
<li>Poor personal hygiene</li>
<li>Improper food holding times or temperatures</li>
<li>Contaminated equipment</li>
<li>Lack of protection from contamination</li>
<li>Inadequate cooking or food obtained from unsafe sources.</li>
</ul>
Geddes noted that in Oregon, restaurant inspectors are required to score their inspections so points are typically taken off on priority, high-risk issues rather than basic, general ones. &ldquo;What we find, is that operators are really eager to fix things that cost them points on their inspections,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If an operator scores an &lsquo;85&rsquo;, he or she wants those fixed and the score to go back to 100. We still write up core violations, but we try to prioritize our inspections. It&rsquo;s really a matter of focus. If an operator sees the inspector is spending half the time in dry storage, then they&rsquo;ll go and fix everything in dry storage. If the inspector spends half the time on the cookline, watching cooling and cooking temps and those kinds of things, then that&rsquo;s where the operator is going to make necessary adjustments. I think it really does help for them to know what to focus on.&rdquo; Thompson advised operators to think of inspections as a collaborative effort for continual quality improvement. She said inspection feedback is an opportunity for improvement, not a penalty. &ldquo;I know we're issuing points and grades, but the process should be a collaborative effort to improve your food safety and prevent a foodborne illness outbreak from occurring,&rdquo; she said. "I also want to urge operators to ask questions during their inspections to clarify the risk of whatever the violation on the grade sheet is, and to gather ways of mitigating that risk. Ask your inspector why it&rsquo;s a problem and what can help solve the problem long term.&rdquo; Geddes added that his biggest piece of advice to operators is to see inspectors as food safety partners, and to ask them questions so they understand why a certain practice is high risk, or why a certain rule is in place. &ldquo;We don't expect an operator to be a passive part of the process,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re here to help. I always say I'm the most inexpensive food safety consultant they&rsquo;ll ever have, so take advantage of that. The focus is to build relationships and get to a safe place with our food.&rdquo; Learn more about <a href="https://www.servsafe.com/" target="_blank">ServSafe</a>
Source: National Restaurant Association

During an inspection, the inspector may focus on different priorities, including specialized requirements at various operations.

At Any Restaurant, Context Impacts an Inspector’s Focus

Inspection-Ready: Proactive Food Safety for Every Shift
Health inspections are a critical part of maintaining food safety in restaurants, but with the right practices, operators can stay inspection ready and be proactive instead of reactive - helping ensure compliance and safety every day.
Glove Safety &amp; Hygiene
&ldquo;Good hand hygiene practices, including handwashing and minimizing bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, reduce contamination risk and are thus critical to preventing foodborne illness and outbreaks.&rdquo; &ndash; ScienceDirect, Food Control (2023)1
Providing disposables isn&rsquo;t enough; employees must know how to put on, remove, and dispose of gloves correctly. Gloves should always be worn when handling ready-to-eat foods, changed when switching tasks or when soiled, and replaced at least every four hours. Hands should always be washed before putting on a fresh pair.
To stay inspection-ready, schedule random training and compliance checks. Simulating an inspection lets staff practice proper glove use under real conditions and reinforces food safety habits, making actual inspections smoother and less stressful.
Traceability &amp; Product Rotation
Traceable products and proper labeling help operators show inspectors that every item meets safety standards.
Maintaining accurate labeling and following FIFO (first-in, first-out) helps older inventory to be used first and reduces the risk of serving expired items. Random internal audits of traceability practices can help identify gaps and reinforce proper labeling and rotation.
In addition, using color-coded products makes compliance easier while improving kitchen efficiency. By establishing these procedures in advance, operators can build compliance into daily operations, so inspection readiness is automatic rather than a last-minute concern.
Sanitation &amp; Training
Consistent cleaning, organized storage, and staff training make inspection readiness part of daily operations, not a last-minute task.
Clean, organized workspaces are essential. Daily sanitation of prep surfaces, storage areas, and equipment helps prevent contamination and demonstrates commitment to safety. Well-trained staff understand proper glove use, hand hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, and safe handling of cleaning agents, making compliance consistent rather than reactive.
Incorporating random compliance checks and mock inspections helps staff practice these routines under realistic conditions, reinforcing daily habits and reducing stress when a real inspection occurs.
Conclusion
By combining proper glove use, traceable products, and consistent sanitation routines, operators can maintain kitchens that are safe, efficient, and inspection-ready every day.
Content courtesy of Handgards, Inc.
1Hoover, Restaurant and Staff Characteristics Related to Practices that Could Contribute to Cross-Contamination &ndash; ScienceDirect, 2023

With the right practices, operators can stay inspection ready and be proactive instead of reactive - helping ensure compliance and safety every day.

From Gloves to Traceability: Preparing Your Restaurant for Health Inspections

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At Any Restaurant, Context Impacts an Inspector’s Focus

From Gloves to Traceability: Preparing Your Restaurant for Health Inspections