Care home kitchen and food hygiene audit for the UK.
A care home kitchen is judged twice. Environmental health inspects it as a food business. The care regulator looks at whether residents eat safely, to the right texture. A food audit that satisfies one leaves the other exposed.
- A care kitchen is a food business under the Food Safety Act 1990. Environmental health inspects it and gives a Food Hygiene Rating.
- Food safety rests on a HACCP-based system such as Safer Food, Better Business.
- Allergen law needs accurate information on the 14 major allergens.
- Residents who struggle to swallow need food at the right IDDSI level.
- Quickler records the audit. It does not hold a resident's IDDSI level.
An audit does not keep food safe.
The kitchen team does. The audit checks temperatures, cleaning, allergens and modified-texture meals. Quickler writes it up and lists each fault as a job.
What the food audit covers.
A care kitchen has two inspectors.
Environmental health scores food hygiene. The care regulator looks at nutrition and safe swallowing. One kitchen must satisfy both. Record the audit once, with photos and temperatures.
No app. No training.
Answer each prompt by text, voice note or a photo of the probe reading. Quickler writes the report when you say done.
Temperature, hygiene and HACCPFood safety
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The kitchen is a food business. The base is a written HACCP-based system. For many care kitchens that is the Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business. The audit checks temperatures, cleaning, cross-contamination and traceability. |
The 14 allergens, and residents who have themAllergens
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The kitchen must hold accurate information on the 14 major allergens and stop cross-contamination. It must also know each resident's allergies, and match the right meal to the right resident at every service. |
IDDSI and safe swallowingTextures
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A generic food audit misses this. Residents who struggle to swallow are at risk of choking. They need food and drink at a set texture. The IDDSI framework defines the levels. Quickler records that you checked texture and it was right. It does not hold the resident's level. |
Food safety (temperatures, cleaning, cross-contamination, traceability), allergens (the 14, and residents' allergies), and modified textures to the right IDDSI level.
Two. Environmental health inspects it as a food business. The care regulator looks at nutrition and safe swallowing.
No. It records that you checked texture and what you found. The level stays in the care record.
Yes. You answer by text, voice note or photo. No app to install.