Hello there,
Just had our first food safety audit since opening our new pub 2 months ago. Regrettably, the inspector gave us a score of 1 (out of a possible 5) because our paperwork was insufficient. She (the inspector) admitted that HAD said paperwork been acceptable, a score of 4 (out of 5) was likely.
Conclusion? The paperwork is more important than the cleanliness of the facilities.
I also have a few questions that I would like answered if possible.
1 - What does the “points” system of judging consist of – i.e. where is the list of points for each item that the inspector checks?
2 – The inspector had left us a safety manual / diary to be filled in during previous advisory visit - what if the person who completes this book, then decides to leave the job soon after filling it in. Does the new cook get a fresh book to complete?
3 – Who is the ombudsman for the food safety dept?
4 – Does the inspector simply act as judge, jury and executioner during the inspection – if so how do I know that the “personal feelings” of the inspector do not play a part in the outcome.
5 – Given that records can be easily falsified – what is the point of keeping daily fridge/freezer temperature history? Who is actually going to be stupid enough to record unacceptable temperatures.
I would be interested to hear other members comments on my questions.