Food safety inspections

What do we come across during a food safety inspection?

“Customers are usually quite happy that I came by.”

Senior food safety inspector Ferry van Reede loves his job. He and his colleagues at Eurofins Bureau de Wit are in daily contact with food producers, hospitality businesses, and retailers — and they visit all kinds of places. What does he encounter? And what tips does he have to improve food safety?

In the mornings, Van Reede often starts with a hygiene inspection of a hotel breakfast or the fresh produce section of a supermarket. In the afternoons, he might inspect a food producer, slaughterhouse, indoor playground, or crematorium — because food must be safe everywhere.
“That variety is what makes my job so much fun. That’s why I’ve been doing it for 12 years already! I can imagine customers don’t always love it when I show up for an inspection. But they’re usually glad afterward. When I’ve helped them with good advice, they’re happy. Though of course, it stays a bit tense — someone in a white coat walking through your kitchen,” Van Reede says.

The food safety inspector visits both locations that score insufficiently and locations that have everything perfectly in order — for example, to obtain the Food Safety Quality Mark, or after an NVWA inspection.
Sometimes, inspection results are simply needed for certification.
Van Reede explains:
“We don’t give fines — only advice. We look at where we can help. The person in charge shows us insight into all hygiene processes in the kitchen. Are these processes carried out correctly? Think of preparation methods, cooling, and hygienic working.”

“You can’t see bacteria”

And that’s not all. The inspector also takes a sample of the prepared food.
“You can’t see bacteria. Processes may look fine, but to be sure, we take a reference sample. This allows us to check whether the process was actually carried out correctly. If the results are insufficient, something went wrong somewhere. Of course, we can then give targeted advice to correct the process,” he explains.

“That’s why things remain exciting even after the inspection — especially for the Food Safety Quality Mark. If the sample contains too many bacteria, the audit doesn’t meet the required 80% score. We always wait for the lab results before sharing the final inspection report.”

What does the inspector look for during an inspection?

With 15 years of kitchen experience — including several as a chef — Van Reede knows exactly where to look.
“For customers with the Food Safety Quality Mark, we’re very strict. If a customer only wants advice, we start a trajectory together: first the major issues, then increasingly detailed improvements. We even use a flashlight to check hard-to-reach places so we can help customers get the kitchen spotless. We check things like the refrigerated workbench and drawers.
My tip: walk through your kitchen like that yourself!”

Walking through the kitchen that way can be a shock.
“Many customers hire us because they know improvements are needed, but they need someone to guide them. It may sound simple, but when you work in the same kitchen every day, you fall into a routine. Then it really helps when someone points out improvement areas,” Van Reede explains.

The strangest things he has encountered

Van Reede occasionally comes across unusual things.
“For example, I once saw a cook wearing no chef’s clothing — just summer clothes and flip-flops in the kitchen. Or mouse droppings on top of the rice… and then they just remove the droppings and use the rice in the wok!
But those are true extremes. Most of our customers do a really good job nowadays and barely need advice. That’s great to see.”

Interpreting legislation

Inspectors don’t just run through a checklist. They also clarify details of the law.
“How do you interpret a sentence in a hygiene code? Some parts can be understood in multiple ways. Interpretation is sometimes difficult. We help customers with that. We always give advice — nothing is mandatory from us,” he says.

The golden foundation

So what’s the golden tip for always meeting the requirements?
For Van Reede, the foundation lies in structure and follow-up.

“Clean your workbench on Mondays, the cold room on Tuesdays, the extractor on Wednesdays. And as a manager or owner — check it. Show how high you set the bar. That prevents cleaning standards from slipping.
Routine, structure, and follow-up — that’s the best advice I can give.”

It sounds simple, but staffing shortages make things harder.
“Who can you check if there are no cooks and you, as the owner, are working in the kitchen yourself? Sometimes I’m almost tempted to grab a cloth and start cleaning. Not that I do — I don’t have time — but the urge is there. I come from the kitchen myself, so I know how it is. Sometimes you really feel sympathy.”

How do customers respond to advice or inspection results?

“Most chefs handle it very well. As inspectors, we’re a motivator — also for the rest of the staff. In the end, they’re doing it for their guests. My job becomes more fun when I see improvements with my own eyes.

Last week, I did an initial inspection for a new customer. They were shocked by the results. A day later, they sent photos showing all the improvements they were already working on. They saw the difference themselves and were proud. Those reactions remind me why I do this job.”

There are also very enthusiastic reactions.
“I once helped a company that had been shut down by the NVWA. In just a week and a half, I helped them raise their level again. I was there when the NVWA did the reinspection — when they were allowed to reopen, the owner hugged me out of gratitude. I don’t really like that, but it did show how meaningful our work is. A nice confirmation… though I hope it doesn’t become a habit,” Van Reede says laughing.