Checklist template

Food safety for fresh departments in grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 111 items in 6 sections, covering Temperatures, Cross-contamination, Sanitation, Dating, Allergens and labels, Logs. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 111 Items
  • 94 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 124 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Temperatures 20 items

  1. Product temperature in the service meat case (°F or °C) Number
  2. Product temperature in the deli cold case (°F or °C) Number
  3. Product temperature in the hot case or rotisserie warmer (°F or °C) Number
  4. Product temperature in the cut fruit display (°F or °C) Number
  5. Product probed in every refrigerated case sampled was at 41°F (5°C) or below Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Hot food probed was at 135°F (57°C) or above, or at the higher temperature required locally Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Frozen cases hold product frozen solid at 0°F (-18°C) or below Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Rotisserie chickens are probed each batch and reach 165°F (74°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Product in open cases is stocked below the load line Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Air discharge and return vents of the cases are not blocked by product or signs Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Each case has a thermometer that can be read from the aisle Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A probe thermometer is available in each fresh department Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Probe thermometers checked in ice water read 32°F (0°C), within 2°F (1°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Cooked food being cooled is in shallow pans or a blast chiller Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Food held without temperature control (sushi rice, pizza slices, samples) is time-marked and discarded at 4 hours Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Frozen product is thawed under refrigeration or under cold running water Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Fresh fish is bedded in drained ice and not piled above the ice line Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Refrigerated product on stocking carts is put away within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Walk-in cooler doors are kept closed and the strip curtains are intact Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Temperature control in the fresh departments Rating
    • All readings in range 5 pts
    • One reading out and corrected on the spot 3 pts
    • Several readings out 1 pt

2. Cross-contamination 20 items

  1. In the meat walk-in, raw poultry is stored below other raw meat Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Raw meat, poultry and seafood are stored below ready-to-eat food in every cooler Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Poultry, beef, pork and seafood are separated by dividers in the service case Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Cooked shrimp and crab are separated from raw seafood and have their own utensils Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Deli slicers are used only for ready-to-eat product Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The grinder is cleaned between species Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Color-coded cutting boards and knives are used by product type Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Employees observed washed their hands before putting on gloves Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Ready-to-eat food is handled with gloves, tongs or deli paper Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The handwash sink in each department has soap and paper towels Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Handwash sinks are unobstructed and used only for handwashing Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The produce preparation sink is sanitized before use and used only for produce Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Raw chicken for the rotisserie is prepared in a designated area Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Employees change apron and gloves after loading raw chicken on the spits Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Self-serve bars and bins have sneeze guards Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each self-serve item has its own utensil Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Samples are offered in single portions under a cover Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Chemicals are stored below and away from food and packaging Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Employees asked know they must report vomiting, diarrhea or jaundice before working with food Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Hand hygiene observed in the fresh departments Rating
    • Consistent 5 pts
    • Occasional lapses 3 pts
    • Frequent lapses 1 pt

3. Sanitation 20 items

  1. A three-compartment sink is set up to wash, rinse and sanitize in each department that prepares food Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Sanitizer tested with a test strip is within the range on the product label Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Sanitizer concentration measured (ppm) Number
  4. Test strips for the sanitizer in use are available and not expired Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Wiping cloths are stored in sanitizer solution between uses Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Deli slicers are broken down, cleaned and sanitized at least every 4 hours of use Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The time of the last slicer cleaning is marked on the slicer or on a log Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The meat saw, grinder and cuber are taken apart and cleaned at the frequency on the cleaning schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The slicer blade guard, the grinder head and the can opener blade were clean to sight and touch Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Service cases are emptied and cleaned on schedule, with no debris under the racks Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Floor drains in the fresh departments are clean and free of standing water Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The produce misting system is cleaned and serviced on the manufacturer's schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Date of the last misting system service Date
  14. The inside of the ice machine is free of slime and mold Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Fan guards, shelving and door gaskets in the walk-in coolers are clean Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The cleaning schedule is posted in each department and signed off Yes / No 1 pt
  17. No live pests, droppings or gnaw marks were seen in the fresh departments Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Employees in the fresh departments wear a clean uniform or apron Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Employees handling open food wear a hair restraint Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Cleanliness of equipment and food-contact surfaces Rating
    • Clean to sight and touch 5 pts
    • Build-up in hard-to-reach places only 3 pts
    • Soil on food-contact surfaces 1 pt

4. Dating 15 items

  1. Every opened chub of deli meat and cheese carries the date opened or the discard date Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Opened ready-to-eat deli product is discarded within 7 days or the shorter company shelf life Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Food prepared in the store (salads, sandwiches, cut fruit) is labeled with a use-by date Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Meat packed in the store shows a packed-on or sell-by date within the company shelf life Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Re-wrapping meat does not extend the original date Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Product thawed for sale is labeled as previously frozen with its thaw date Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Cream-filled and refrigerated bakery items are dated Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Hot case items are time-stamped and discarded at the company hold time Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Sushi packs show the time or date made and are pulled at the company shelf life Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Live shellfish tags are kept on file after the container is emptied, for the period required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cases in the walk-in coolers are rotated first in, first out Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The date printed by each scale checked was today's date Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Out-of-date product pulled from sale is held apart and marked not for sale Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Out-of-date items found on sale during the visit Number
  15. Date control in the fresh departments Rating
    • No out-of-date product found 5 pts
    • Isolated items found 3 pts
    • Out-of-date product in several departments 1 pt

5. Allergens and labels 17 items

  1. Scale labels of store-packed items sampled list the ingredients Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Scale labels sampled declare the allergens in the item Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The ingredient list on 3 labels sampled matches the current recipe or supplier label Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Recipes are followed without substituting ingredients unless the label is updated Yes / No 1 pt
  5. An ingredient and allergen binder is available for service counter items Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Employees asked know where to find allergen information for an unlabeled item Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Employees asked can name the priority allergens Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Self-serve bakery cases carry an allergen notice Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Bulk bins are labeled with ingredients and allergens Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Bins of nuts are placed below or away from other bulk foods Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The slicer is cleaned before slicing for a customer who declares an allergy Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Shellfish and finfish are handled with separate utensils and boards Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Raw meat and poultry packed in the store carry safe handling instructions where required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Country of origin is shown for produce and seafood as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Mechanically tenderized beef is identified on the label where required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Labels are in the language or languages required locally Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Employee knowledge of allergens Rating
    • All employees asked answered correctly 5 pts
    • Some answered correctly 3 pts
    • None answered correctly 1 pt

6. Logs 19 items

  1. Case and cooler temperatures are logged at the frequency set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Temperature logs are complete for the last 7 days Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Out-of-range readings on the logs have a corrective action written next to them Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The cooking temperature log for rotisserie and hot foods is complete Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The cooling log shows food cooled from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C) within 2 hours and to 41°F (5°C) within 4 more hours Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The grinding log records the source product, lot and time of each grind as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Receiving temperatures of refrigerated deliveries are logged Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Thermometer calibration is logged at least weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Date of the last thermometer calibration Date
  10. A certified food protection manager is on duty or on staff as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Food handler training records are current for fresh department employees Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The last health department inspection report is on file Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Violations from the last health department inspection have been corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Date of the last health department inspection Date
  15. Pest control service reports are on file with their recommendations closed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Logs are initialed weekly by the department manager Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Name of the person in charge during the visit Short text
  18. Overall food safety rating of the fresh departments Rating
    • No critical finding 5 pts
    • Findings corrected during the visit 3 pts
    • Critical findings left uncorrected 1 pt
  19. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

Categories

Related templates

← All templates

Brand standards

At every site, every time

Start Free Contact us