The FSAI Code of Practice is the inspection rulebook used by Environmental Health Officers in Ireland. Every routine food business inspection follows it; understanding it gives you a near-perfect preview of what will happen on inspection day. This article walks through the Code in plain English and the practical steps every Irish operator should take.
What the Code is
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland Code of Practice for Inspection of Food Businesses sets out how EHOs assess food businesses against EC Regulation 852/2004, EU 178/2002, Irish S.I. No. 369/2006 and related law. It is published by FSAI and updated periodically.
Inspection grading
Inspections in Ireland are graded informally as:
- Compliant - no significant issues found.
- Minor non-compliances - small issues to fix; informal note.
- Major non-compliances - formal Improvement Notice with deadline.
- Closure / Prohibition - immediate or near-immediate action.
What an EHO checks first
- Wash-hand basin clear and stocked.
- Fridge and chiller temperatures.
- Today's monitoring sheet.
- Allergen matrix dated within last menu change.
- Staff training records and current HACCP certificates.
- Pest control reports.
- Cleaning sign-off.
Documents the EHO will request
- HACCP plan signed and reviewed in last 12 months.
- Hazard analysis covering biological, chemical, physical and allergenic.
- CCP list with critical limits.
- Daily monitoring records for the last 6 weeks.
- Calibration logs for all probes.
- Cleaning schedule with sign-offs.
- Pest control reports.
- Allergen matrix and supplier specifications.
- Staff HACCP certificates.
- Traceability records.
Verbal questions
The EHO will ask any food handler one or two on-the-spot questions:
- What temperature do we cook chicken to?
- Where is the allergen matrix?
- What do you do if the fridge alarm goes off?
- How do we record temperature checks?
Wrong answers are an immediate red flag. The single best protection is that every member of staff holds a current accredited HACCP certificate.
Physical inspection
- Structure - walls, floors, ceilings, ventilation, drainage.
- Equipment - fridge seals, chopping boards, knives, thermometers.
- Temperature controls - random probe checks.
- Cleaning - swabs may be taken from contact surfaces.
- Pest control - bait stations, fly screens, gaps.
- Personal hygiene - wash basins in use, no jewellery, hair restrained.
Outcomes and what triggers each
- Improvement Notice - structural or procedural failure with deadline to fix.
- Closure Order - imminent risk to public health.
- Prohibition Order - specific process or product banned.
- Prosecution - serious or repeated breach.
- FSAI public alert - product recall or naming of business.
Build a 90-day audit-ready routine
- Daily - fridge temps, cook checks, hot-hold, cleaning sign-off.
- Weekly - probe calibration, deep clean rota, internal walk-through.
- Monthly - review monitoring records, sample-test product, brief team.
- Quarterly - full HACCP review, refresher training where due.
- Annually - sign off the HACCP plan; renew expiring HACCP refresher certificates.
Bottom line
The FSAI Code of Practice is the EHO playbook. Read it once, build the 6-section HACCP folder, train every food handler on a current accredited certificate, and run the daily / weekly / monthly routine. Inspection becomes predictable - because the inspector is following the same script you are operating to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FSAI Food Safety Code of Practice?
The FSAI Code of Practice for Inspection of Food Businesses is the official Irish inspection rulebook used by Environmental Health Officers. It sets out how EHOs assess food businesses against EC Regulation 852/2004 and related Irish food law.
How often does FSAI inspect Irish food businesses?
Frequency varies by risk category - high-risk premises (hospitals, care homes, large catering) are inspected more often than low-risk (small dry-goods retail). Most active food businesses receive at least one routine inspection per year, plus any complaint-driven visits.
