San Francisco Food Manufacturer Inspection Checklist

What San Francisco DPH Inspectors Prioritize

SF Department of Public Health inspectors evaluate manufacturers against California Code of Regulations Title 3 and local ordinances. Critical focus areas include: temperature maintenance for potentially hazardous foods (41°F or below, 135°F or above), documented time-temperature controls during processing and storage, and active monitoring systems like thermometers calibrated monthly. Inspectors also verify HACCP plans are in place for high-risk products, allergen segregation and labeling protocols are documented, and equipment surfaces are food-contact safe and cleanable. Cross-contamination prevention—separate equipment for allergens and pathogen-susceptible ingredients—receives heavy scrutiny, as does pest control documentation and employee health statement compliance.

Common Food Manufacturer Violations in San Francisco

Frequent violations cited by SF DPH include improper temperature records or missing monitoring logs, inadequate handwashing stations or non-compliant employee practices, and failure to maintain HACCP documentation or critical control point verification. Allergen mismanagement—such as missing or inaccurate allergen statements on finished products, or cross-contact via shared equipment without proper cleaning validation—appears regularly in enforcement actions. Equipment deficiencies like non-NSF certified utensils, damaged food-contact surfaces, or missing calibration records are also common findings. Water supply verification gaps, unlabeled or improperly stored ingredients, and lack of documented cleaning schedules for production areas frequently result in conditional use permits or reinspection notices.

Daily and Weekly Self-Inspection Tasks

Implement a daily checklist: verify cooler/freezer temperatures at opening (record in log), inspect food-contact surfaces for cleanliness and damage, confirm handwashing stations are stocked with soap and paper towels, and review the previous day's processing logs for completeness. Weekly tasks include calibrating temperature monitoring equipment, inspecting pest control traps and documenting findings, verifying allergen-segregated storage areas are intact, and auditing employee health statements for updates. Monthly, conduct a full HACCP plan review, validate equipment cleaning effectiveness via ATP swabs or visual inspection, audit supplier documentation (certificates of analysis, safety data sheets), and review any customer complaints or near-misses. Document everything—inspectors expect organized records spanning at least two years for many items, particularly temperature logs and corrective action documentation.

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