EHO inspection checklist for Irish food + coffee trailers
Once you're registered with the FSAI, your local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) can inspect at any time without warning. EHO inspections in the first year of trading run 1-3 times; thereafter typically annual unless something prompts a follow-up. The EHO's job isn't to catch you out — it's to confirm public-safety standards. This checklist is built from what Irish EHOs actually check, in roughly the order they check it. Run through it monthly and you'll fly through inspections.
Paperwork (the inspection often starts here)
Have all of these on the trailer in a labelled folder: FSAI registration confirmation (FSP01), HACCP plan + procedures (a 1-2 page laminated sheet on the trailer wall is fine), allergen-management plan + 14-allergen matrix, food-handler certificates for everyone serving (HACCP Level 2 minimum), latest RGI gas cert (annual), latest RECI/Safe Electric cert, public liability insurance certificate, supplier delivery + receipt records (last 3 months), temperature logs (last 3 months daily fridge + freezer + cooked-food readings), allergen-incident log (even if empty). Missing paperwork is the most common reason for a re-visit.
Cold chain (temperature logging is the headline)
EHO will lift the lid on every fridge + freezer + check the temperature against your written log for the same date. Required: chilled food <5°C, frozen food <-18°C, cooked food cooled from 60°C → 5°C in <2 hours, hot-held food >63°C. Most Irish trailers run a calibrated digital thermometer + log readings 2-3x daily on a paper sheet beside the unit. Discrepancies between actual + logged temperatures = automatic concern even if no actual food-safety risk exists.
Hand washing + personal hygiene
EHO will ask to see the hand-wash basin in operation: hot water at >38°C, anti-bacterial liquid soap, single-use paper towels (NOT a re-usable cloth). The hand-wash basin must be SEPARATE from the food-prep sink. Staff should be in clean aprons + hair restraints + no jewellery + closed-toe non-slip footwear; no chewing gum, eating, drinking in the food-prep area. Smoking + vaping rules apply at the trailer perimeter. Single-use gloves should be visible + the box should be in date.
Food preparation + storage
Raw + ready-to-eat foods must be physically separated — different fridges if possible, or different shelves with raw BELOW ready-to-eat. Colour-coded chopping boards + knives (red raw meat, blue fish, green salads, yellow bakery, white dairy) is the EHO-friendly standard. Open food in fridges should be covered (cling film, lidded containers). Date-marking on every prep container — "use by" or "best before" + the date you opened it.
Pest prevention
EHO will look for evidence of pests: rodent droppings under shelving + inside cupboards, fly screens on opening windows, no gaps under doors >5 mm, no standing food residue overnight (visible mice attractants). Trailer waste should go in a sealed bin with daily emptying — overflowing waste outside the back of the trailer is a common citation. Festival caterers carrying multi-day waste should have a documented disposal plan.
Equipment + cleanliness
EHO will run a finger along the underside of work surfaces, into the corners of the espresso machine drip tray, behind the fryer. Heavy grease build-up = closure risk. Documented cleaning schedule (daily / weekly / monthly tasks) on the trailer wall is standard practice. Catering chemicals must be food-safe + diluted per manufacturer instructions; look for BS EN 1276 / EN 14476 / EN 13697 ratings on sanitiser bottles.
Allergens (the rising risk category)
EHO inspections post-2018 increasingly focus on allergen management. Required: written allergen procedure, 14-allergen matrix posted visibly (gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin, molluscs), staff training records, separate utensils for allergen-free preparation, separate cleaning kit (Vikan colour-coded brushes are the trade standard). When asked verbally about allergens, staff should be able to answer for any menu item without hesitation.
Common closure-order issues (avoid these)
The five most common reasons Irish food trailers receive a closure order: (1) gross temperature failure on cold chain (logged + actual readings significantly diverging); (2) imminent rodent + pest infestation; (3) failure to register with FSAI before trading; (4) repeated allergen-handling failures despite previous warnings; (5) water source not from a verified mains/tank with food-grade plumbing. None of these come up suddenly — every one is preventable with the monthly self-audit this checklist supports.
Related on Food Trailers Marketplace
Browse Irish suppliers
Find verified Irish suppliers across all 32 counties. Free to browse, contact direct via WhatsApp, email or phone. No commissions, no fees.