Restaurant Food Safety Checklist

Complete this checklist at least once per day during active service. Record all temperatures and correct any failures before continuing operations.

Temperature Monitoring

Record holding temperatures and verify thermometers.

• Record hot holding temperature

  Recommended: 60-85°C

  Why it matters: Hot food below 135°F enters the temperature danger zone where pathogens double every 20 minutes.

  Inspection: Inspectors check hot holding temps at every station: food below 135°F for over 4 hours must be discarded.

  Common mistakes: Checking temp at the surface instead of the center: surface reads hotter than the interior cold spot.

• Record cold holding temperature

  Recommended: 1-5°C

  Why it matters: Cold food above 41°F allows pathogen growth that visual inspection cannot detect.

  Inspection: Inspectors check cold holding at multiple points: salad bars, prep coolers, and walk-ins.

  Common mistakes: Overfilling cold wells with room-temp ingredients: thermal mass pulls the entire well above 41°F.

• Thermometers calibrated

  Pass / Fail

  Why it matters: An off-calibration thermometer by 4°F could mean serving food at 45°F thinking it's 41°F.

  Inspection: Inspectors check that thermometers are calibrated and that staff know how to ice-point test them.

  Common mistakes: Assuming factory calibration holds: probes drift during shipping, drops, and daily use.

Food Storage

Verify proper storage and rotation practices.

• Raw foods separated from ready-to-eat

  Pass / Fail

  Why it matters: Raw meat dripping onto ready-to-eat food causes cross-contamination: a leading cause of outbreaks.

  Inspection: Inspectors verify walk-in organization: raw proteins on bottom, produce and RTE above.

  Common mistakes: Sealed raw chicken above produce is still a risk: leaks happen, and one leak contaminates everything below.

• FIFO rotation applied

  Why it matters: FIFO prevents expired product from reaching guests and reduces food waste from spoilage.

  Inspection: Inspectors check date labels during walk-in inspection: expired product is a direct violation.

  Common mistakes: Placing new stock in front of old for convenience: guarantees the older product expires before use.

• Expired items removed

  Why it matters: Expired ingredients lose quality and may harbor pathogen growth that fresh product does not.

  Inspection: Any expired food in the walk-in is a violation, even if it's not being served.

  Common mistakes: Pushing expired items to the back of the shelf instead of discarding: they will eventually be used by mistake.

Hygiene

Confirm handwashing and sanitizer compliance.

• Handwashing supplies stocked

  Pass / Fail

  Why it matters: Empty soap or towel dispensers at the start of a shift guarantee non-compliance before the first ticket.

  Inspection: Inspectors check every hand sink regardless of station: one failure is enough for a citation.

  Common mistakes: Stocking sinks without checking the soap level: a nearly-empty dispenser runs out during the first prep task.

• Sanitizer concentration verified

  Pass / Fail

  Why it matters: Sanitizer below effective concentration means surfaces aren't sanitized. Above, and chemical residue contaminates food.

  Inspection: Inspectors carry test strips and test every sanitizer bucket during inspection.

  Common mistakes: Estimating concentration by the amount of sanitizer poured: temperature, water hardness, and age all affect strength.

• Food safety notes or issues (optional)

  Note