What EHO inspectors actually look for — and how to be ready in 10 minutes

The inspection that isn't actually a surprise

Here's the thing about EHO inspections that experienced food business owners know but new ones often don't: inspectors aren't trying to catch you out. They're checking whether your food safety systems are real, consistent, and documented. If they are, you're fine. If they're not — or if they are but you can't prove it — you've got a problem.

The good news is that what EHO inspectors look for is entirely predictable. It's the same checklist, the same standards, the same documentation, every time. Once you know what they're looking for, being ready is just a matter of having the right systems in place.

The five things they check first

1. Temperature records

This is almost always the first thing an EHO officer will ask to see. They want to know that your fridges, freezers, and hot holding equipment are being checked regularly and that the temperatures are being recorded. Not just that you check them — that you record the results, with dates, times, and the name of the staff member who did the check.

The legal requirement is to keep these records and be able to produce them on request. "We always check the fridges" is not the same as having a log that proves it.

2. Cleaning schedules and checklists

Inspectors want to see that cleaning happens on a schedule — not just "when it looks dirty." Opening checklists, daily cleaning records, and closing checklists all count. Again, the key word is documented. A clean kitchen with no records is worse than a moderately clean kitchen with thorough documentation.

3. Staff training records

Every member of staff who handles food must have some form of food safety training. Inspectors will ask whether your team has completed Level 2 Food Safety training (or equivalent), and may ask to see certificates. They'll also check whether you have evidence of allergen awareness training.

New starters are a common weak point — businesses are often fully compliant for their established team but forget to document training for people who joined in the last few months.

4. Allergen management

Since Natasha's Law came into force, allergen documentation has become a top priority for inspectors. They'll check that you have a process for communicating allergens to customers — both verbally and in writing — and that your staff know what's in each dish.

5. Delivery and stock records

When deliveries arrive, the temperature of chilled and frozen goods should be checked and recorded. Inspectors may ask to see delivery logs — especially for businesses that handle raw meat, fish, or dairy.

The one thing that trips up most businesses

It's not dirty kitchens. It's gaps in documentation. A business might be doing everything right — checking temperatures twice a day, cleaning thoroughly, training their staff — but if there are missing dates in the logbook, unsigned checklists, or periods where no records were kept, that creates a red flag regardless of the actual cleanliness of the kitchen.

How to be ready in 10 minutes with ZayPOS

ZayPOS's food safety module (on the Complete plan) stores all your temperature logs, checklists, and delivery records digitally. When an inspector arrives, you go to Safety → EHO Report, select the date range, and generate a single document that consolidates every record in one place.

It covers: all temperature readings with timestamps and staff names, all checklist completions and any missed checks with reasons, delivery logs, corrective actions taken, and staff training completion records. The whole thing is printable and formatted for an inspector to read.

You go from "let me find the paper logbook" to "here you go" in about 90 seconds.