Food Safety Documents EHOs Ask For First: The Ultimate Commercial Kitchen Checklist

That’s the thing with EHO visits – they can turn up at any time, unannounced, and they’re not just there to peek under your fryer. Before they even glance at your worktops, they’ll be asking for your paperwork. That’s because your documentation shows them something crucial: confidence in management.

Whether you’re running a bustling restaurant, a hotel kitchen, a school canteen, or even a hospital facility, the story’s the same. Missing documentation is one of the quickest ways to tank your food hygiene inspection, regardless of how spotless your kitchen looks. And while you can make sure your structural hygiene is absolutely spot on, you need to have your papers in order, too.

In this inspection checklist, we outline exactly what food safety documents EHOs ask for first, and why they matter.

The foundation – your Food Safety Management System

So what food safety documents do EHOs ask for when they walk in? Top of the list is always your Food Safety Management System, or FSMS for short.

An FSMS is a legal requirement under the Food Safety Act 1990, and it must be based on the seven Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. Basically, it’s your written plan showing how you keep food safe from the moment it arrives to the moment it leaves your kitchen.

For smaller caterers and retailers

If you’re running a café, pub kitchen, or small takeaway in England or Wales, you’ll likely use Safer Food Better Business – the SFBB pack from the Food Standards Agency. It’s a straightforward system with daily logs and checklists. Northern Ireland businesses use Safe Catering instead, which works in much the same way.

For larger operations

Hospitals, manufacturers and bigger commercial kitchens typically need a bespoke HACCP system that’s more detailed and tailored to your specific processes and hazards.

Here’s where people slip up: Having the pack sitting on a shelf gathering dust won’t cut it. Your food safety management system needs to be current, filled in properly and actually reflect what’s happening in your kitchen from day to day. If your menu changed six months ago but your HACCP documentation still lists the old dishes, that’s a problem.

Proving consistency with daily due diligence

Having a system is one thing. Proving you’re actually using it? That’s where food safety records come in.

These daily logs are your evidence that you’re controlling hazards every single day. When performing their role, EHOs will scrutinise them closely because gaps or dodgy-looking corrections (yes, they notice Tipp-Ex) suggest you might be fudging the numbers.

Temperature control logs

Temperature records are absolutely crucial for food preparation safety:

1. Fridge and cold room temperatures: Must be below 8°C, though you’re aiming for 0°C to 5°C ideally. Check and record these twice daily at a minimum.
2. Cooking temperatures: Core temperature needs to hit 75°C for two minutes (or an equivalent like 70°C for two minutes). Record every batch.
3. Hot holding records: If you’re keeping food warm for service, it must stay above 63°C. Log it regularly.

Probe calibration

EHOs also look for probe calibration records. Your temperature readings are useless if your thermometer’s wonky. You need documented proof that you’re checking your probes are accurate, usually by testing them in ice water (should read 0°C) or boiling water (should read 100°C).

Missing these records is a red flag that screams “we’re not on top of things”.

Cleaning schedules and hygiene reports

Your cleaning schedule is a critical document that shows who cleans what, when and how. EHOs expect to see this laid out clearly, with tasks ticked off as completed.

There’s a difference between your daily clean-as-you-go tasks – the wiping down, the mopping, the general tidying that your staff handle during and after service – and the periodic deep cleaning that gets into all those awkward spots.

The deep clean difference

Environmental health officers aren’t daft. They know to look behind equipment, inside extraction systems and in those corners that don’t get attention during daily service. When they ask “When was this last deep cleaned?” you need proof.

This is where kitchen compliance records from professional cleaners, like us at KDC Hygiene, come in handy. Our deep cleaning certificates, including TR19 compliance for ventilation systems, serve as documented evidence of due diligence. It shows the EHO you’re serious about hygiene standards in those hard-to-reach areas.

Your cleaning schedule should also note which cleaning products and chemicals you’re using. EHOs want to see that you’re using proper commercial sanitisers that meet BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697 standards – not just giving everything a quick spray with something you picked up from the supermarket.

Staff training and health records

Naturally, your staff need to be suitably trained in food safety and you need the certificates to prove it.

During an inspection, EHOs will chat with your team. They might ask your prep cook about safe defrosting methods or question your dishwasher about cleaning chemical dilution rates. If your staff can’t answer confidently, the inspector will ask to see training records and food hygiene certificates.

What you need

• Level 2 food hygiene certificates for all food handlers
• Level 3 certificates for supervisors and managers
• Records showing when training was completed and when refreshers are due

“I showed them once” or “they’ve been doing this for years” won't wash with an EHO. You need dated, documented proof.

Fitness to work records

You also need health records showing that staff understand when they must report illness. The 48-hour exclusion rule for sickness and diarrhoea isn’t a suggestion, it’s the law.

Your records should show that:

• Staff know to report symptoms before their shift.
• You have a written policy on illness exclusion.
• Staff have signed to confirm they understand these requirements.

An outbreak of food poisoning because someone came in poorly (despite knowing better) is a disaster waiting to happen, so it’s one the Food Standards Agency takes very seriously.

Allergen management and supplier traceability

In 2026, allergen documentation is massive. Expect EHOs to dig deep here because the Food Standards Agency has made this a priority, especially following Natasha’s Law. Introduced in the UK in October 2021, this law requires full ingredient lists and clear allergen labelling on pre-packed foods made and sold on the same premises. It was introduced to protect consumers after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s tragic death from an allergic reaction to unlabelled sesame in 2016.

What they’ll want to see

An allergen matrix covering all 14 major allergens (celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphur dioxide). This needs to be accurate and updated for every dish you serve.

Cross-contamination prevention procedures: How do you separate allergenic ingredients? Where do you store them? What colour boards do you use? This needs documenting clearly.

Supplier traceability: Keep your invoices and delivery notes organised. If there’s a recall or a contamination issue, you need to prove exactly where your food came from and when it arrived. EHOs look for this evidence that you’re operating as a responsible food business operator.

Maintenance and pest control

You’d be surprised how often this gets overlooked, but maintenance documentation matters.

Pest control records

Whether you’ve got a contract with a pest control company or you’re doing your own monitoring, you need records. EHOs want to see:

• Regular visit reports (monthly is standard for commercial premises).
• Evidence that recommendations were actioned. If your contractor said “install a door brush”, you need proof you did it.
• Logs of any pest activity and how it was dealt with.

Equipment maintenance

Your food premises must be in good repair, and that includes all your kit. Keep maintenance records of:

• Gas safety certificates (annual)
• Portable appliance testing (PAT) for electrical equipment
• Fridge and freezer servicing
• Dishwasher maintenance
• Any repairs to cooking equipment

These prove your equipment is working properly, which directly affects food safety standards.

Consequences of missing documentation

First off, it immediately affects your food hygiene rating. You can’t get a top-score rating of five without proper documentation, even if your kitchen is gleaming. The “confidence in management” score accounts for a third of your overall rating, so missing records absolutely hammer this.

The enforcement steps

If your paperwork’s seriously lacking, here’s what can happen:

Hygiene Improvement Notice: This is a formal legal notice requiring you to fix specific issues within a set timeframe. If you haven’t sorted things out by the re-inspection, things escalate.

Emergency Prohibition Notice: If there’s an immediate risk to public health, an EHO can shut down your business on the spot. This could be issued if your records show dangerous temperature control failures or if you can’t prove basic food safety practices.

Prosecution: In severe cases, the EHO can recommend prosecution. We’re talking heavy fines, possibly criminal records and your name in the local paper. This is not the kind of publicity any food business wants.

Make no mistake, missing food safety paperwork penalties are serious and can shut down your business. So make sure you keep documentation such as temperature records, delivery receipts and sanitation logs for a minimum of two years. Employee training documents should be maintained throughout their employment and for some time after they’ve left your employ.

How we can help you ensure inspection readiness

While all of this might seem like a mountain of paperwork, know that once you’ve got your systems in place, it becomes routine.

Think of your food safety documentation as your insurance policy. When an EHO turns up unannounced, you want to be the food business operator who calmly pulls out a well-organised file and says “What would you like to see first?”

So keep your documents together, keep them current and review them regularly. Set reminders for certificate renewals, schedule staff training refreshers and make sure someone’s responsible for keeping logs up to date.

Feeling overwhelmed? Let KDC Hygiene handle what we do best. We’ll deep clean your kitchen and provide you with the professional cleaning certificates that demonstrate compliance.

Give us a bell when you need a proper sort-out. Because a clean kitchen and good paperwork? That’s the combination that keeps EHOs happy – and your business thriving.

FAQs

What’s the most important document an EHO will ask for first?

Your Food Safety Management System based on HACCP principles. For smaller businesses, that’s usually the Safer Food Better Business pack.

Can I still get a five-star food hygiene rating if my kitchen is spotless but my paperwork’s incomplete?

Afraid not. Your food hygiene rating is based on three areas: food hygiene, structural compliance and confidence in management. Missing records absolutely tank that third score. A gleaming kitchen will only get you so far.

How long do I need to keep food safety records for?

Temperature logs, delivery notes and cleaning records should be kept for at least two years. Training certificates need to be on file for as long as that person works for you, plus a bit after they leave. Basically, if an EHO asks for proof of something you did last year, you need to be able to show them.

What happens if I can't find a specific document during an inspection?

The EHO will note it as missing, which damages your ‘confidence in management’ score. If it’s a critical document like your FSMS or temperature logs, you could receive a Hygiene Improvement Notice requiring you to get your records in order. In serious cases where there’s an immediate risk, they can issue an Emergency Prohibition Notice and shut you down.

Do professional cleaning certificates from companies like KDC Hygiene count as compliance records?

Absolutely. Deep cleaning certificates, especially for extraction systems (TR19 compliance), serve as documented proof that you’re maintaining hygiene standards in areas that are difficult to clean during daily service. They demonstrate due diligence and show the EHO you’re taking structural hygiene seriously.