The Equipment Deficiencies Most Often Cited in Food Hygiene Inspections

What Inspections Are Based On

When the health bureau inspects a food business on site, the main basis is the Regulations on Good Hygiene Practice for Food (GHP, amended June 4, 2025); for designated sectors, the Regulations on Food Safety Control System (HACCP) as well; and for food factories, the Standards for Food Factory Buildings and Equipment. Article 41 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation authorizes the competent authority to enter work areas for inspection and require information; businesses that evade, obstruct, or refuse are fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million under Article 47.

Where Inspectors Look on Machines

Based on the GHP provisions, inspectors usually pay attention to the following when looking at equipment:

• Food contact surfaces: Whether they're smooth, free of dents or cracks, and clean (Annex 2, Point 2). Parts that can be opened will be opened for inspection.
• Cleaning before and after use: Whether equipment is confirmed clean before use and washed thoroughly after use (Annex 2).
• Detergents and sanitizers: Whether they could contaminate contact surfaces; whether chemicals are labeled, stored in designated places, managed by a designated person, and their usage recorded (Annex 2, Point 3).
• Foreign matter and lubrication: Whether there are measures to keep metal or other foreign matter out (Annex 3, Point 7); whether lubricating oil could drip onto products.
• Placement of raw materials and finished products: They must not touch the floor directly (Annex 3).
• Surroundings: Whether light fixtures above food are shielded, whether the outside of piping is clean, and whether refrigeration and freezing equipment have temperature indicators and records (Annex 1).
• Measuring instruments: Whether thermometers, scales, and recorders are calibrated regularly and records kept (GHP Article 10).

Common Deficiencies

Results published by the Executive Yuan's joint food safety inspection team show what equipment-related deficiencies look like:

• In inspections of 22 flour mills published in February 2015, common GHP nonconformities included: floors or ceilings not kept clean, process layout and equipment, utensils, and containers not following principles of hygiene and safety, no effective pest control, waste not properly handled, and the outside of piping not kept clean.
• In inspections of 86 meat plants published in July 2014, common HACCP and GHP deficiencies included: insufficient staff training hours, measuring instruments not regularly calibrated, areas with different types of work not effectively separated, and incomplete forms and records.

Linking these deficiencies to equipment, common situations on the floor are:

• Dried residue in machine gaps or under screws and conveyor belts.
• Scratches, dents, or rust spots on contact surfaces, or cracked or chipped plastic parts.
• Dust buildup on piping, fans, and light covers above the machine.
• Lubricant stains near the contact zone.
• Detergents kept next to the production line with no labels and no usage records.
• Thermometers without calibration records, and gaps in freezer temperature logs.
• Cleaning and maintenance done but not recorded; or records not kept for 5 years (GHP Article 11).

How to Prepare Day to Day

1. Turn cleaning into a procedure: Write a cleaning procedure for each machine, including which parts to remove, which detergent to use, who's responsible, and who checks, and post it beside the machine.
2. Daily records: GHP Annex 2 requires a designated hygiene supervisor to fill in hygiene management records daily; record equipment cleaning, temperatures, and pest checks together.
3. Regular maintenance and replacement: Replace consumables such as seal rings, scrapers, and conveyor belts when they crack or chip, and record the replacement date.
4. Instrument calibration: Set calibration intervals for thermometers, scales, and temperature recorders, and keep calibration records.
5. Chemical management: Store detergents, sanitizers, and lubricants in separate areas, label them clearly, and record usage.
6. Self-inspection: Use GHP Annexes 1, 2, and 3 as a checklist, walk through the plant yourself once a month, and keep before-and-after photos of improvements.
7. Centralize documents: Keep the registration number, factory registration, hygiene manager filing, training and health check records, and traceability records in a fixed place so you can produce them during an inspection.

Violating GHP and failing to correct within the deadline after being ordered to do so is punishable under Article 44 of the Food Safety Act by a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$200 million, so when you receive a notice to improve within a deadline, the most important thing is to improve on time and keep proof.

For details on equipment cleaning, see Allergen Management and Machine Changeover Cleaning; for the full key points of GHP, see Key Points of the Regulations on Good Hygiene Practice for Food. Always stop and lock out the machine during cleaning and maintenance; see lockout rules.

FAQ

Q: Where do inspectors look on machines?
A: Whether food contact surfaces are smooth, crack-free, and clean; cleaning before and after use; whether detergents and lubricants could contaminate food; foreign matter prevention; and surrounding piping and fixtures, temperature indicators, and calibration records for measuring instruments.

Q: What are the most common equipment deficiencies?
A: Published joint inspection results include equipment, utensils, and containers not following principles of hygiene and safety, the outside of piping not kept clean, measuring instruments not regularly calibrated, and incomplete forms and records.

Q: How should we prepare for inspections?
A: Establish a cleaning procedure and daily records for each machine, replace consumables regularly, calibrate instruments, store and label chemicals in separate areas, self-inspect monthly using the GHP annexes, and keep all documents together for at least 5 years.

Q: Does a deficiency notice mean an immediate fine?
A: GHP violations usually lead first to an order to correct within a deadline; if not corrected by then, a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$200 million may be imposed under Article 44 of the Food Safety Act.