Inspections are a "snapshot" of the day and time of the inspection. At the time of the inspection violations are recorded,
and often corrected on the spot, prior to the inspector leaving the facility.
Inspections are conducted by the Department of Inspections and Appeal's Food Safety Specialists and, in some jurisdictions,
local health departments that contract with the Department to provide the service.
A uniform training program is utilized for all inspectors following national standards.
The frequency of inspections varies depending on many factors including the type of food, food preparation, and handling and
compliance history of the establishment. In addition, inspections are conducted prior to opening, upon complaint, and as a
follow up to ensure previous violations have been corrected.
Inspection details can be accessed by clicking on the name of the food facility.
This will show the violations from the last inspection, the comments from the inspector, and provide an explanation of why
the violation is important. The full inspection report is available from that same screen by clicking
"view inspection report" under the name and address.
You can print this report or save it to your computer.
More about reading a food establishment inspection report (grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores).
A food establishment inspection report is broken into two categories—
Foodborne Illness Risk Factors: These are the types of violations that can make someone ill if they are not corrected.
Factors such as good work hygiene, correct holding and storing temperatures for food, and making sure the food comes from
approved sources are all critical for ensuring public health. These violations should be corrected immediately if possible,
but in all circumstances no longer than ten days.
Good Retail Practices: These violations are also important for protecting public health but have less potential to
cause a significant foodborne illness. These violations should be corrected as soon as possible but generally must be corrected
within 90 days.
Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, Food and Consumer Safety Bureau, 3rd Floor Lucas State Office Building,
321 E. 12th St, Des Moines IA 50319-0083 Get Directions
515-281-6538
FCS-Licensing@dia.iowa.gov