Food Manufacturers Inspection Checklist for Detroit

What Detroit Food Safety Inspectors Look For

Detroit health inspectors assess facilities using the FDA's Food Facility Inspection Checklist and Michigan's Food Service Rules. They prioritize hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), allergen separation, employee hygiene practices, and equipment maintenance records. Inspectors verify that your preventive controls plan is documented, implemented, and monitored—this is mandatory under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) for manufacturers. They also check sanitation SOPs, pest control evidence, water system testing results, and recall procedures. Common focus areas include cross-contamination risks, proper labeling of allergens, and temperature logs for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods.

Common Violations in Detroit Manufacturing Facilities

Food manufacturers in Detroit frequently encounter violations in three categories: environmental monitoring failures (inadequate swabbing or testing records for pathogens like Listeria), documentation gaps (missing or incomplete HACCP logs, employee training records, or supplier verification), and equipment sanitation issues (buildup on food-contact surfaces, inadequate cleaning verification). Allergen management violations—cross-contamination from shared equipment or mislabeled products—are taken seriously by Michigan regulators and can trigger FDA warnings. Poor pest control documentation, expired calibration certificates for thermometers, and inadequate handwashing station supplies are routine findings. The Detroit Health Department also flags facilities without current preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI) certifications or missing recall drills.

Daily & Weekly Self-Inspection Tasks

Implement a daily walk-through checklist: inspect all food-contact surfaces for visible contamination, verify refrigeration temperatures (log min/max daily), confirm handwashing stations are stocked, and visually scan for pest activity. Weekly tasks should include swabbing high-risk areas (conveyor belts, slicers, filling equipment) for environmental monitoring, reviewing temperature logs for completeness, auditing allergen zones for cross-contamination risks, and verifying cleaning solution concentrations. Monthly, conduct a deeper facility audit: test water systems for chlorine residual, review supplier documentation, inspect pest control reports, check employee hygiene training records, and simulate a product recall using your traceability system. Pre-inspection (2 weeks before): validate all HACCP documentation, update preventive controls records, ensure calibration certificates are current, and brief staff on inspection procedures.

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