Frequently asked questions
About the FSSAI Catering inspection checklist, how this self-check works, privacy and its limits.
Is this an official FSSAI tool?
No. Food Safety Ready is an independent, free, open-source educational tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by FSSAI or any state food safety department, and it cannot give you a licence, certificate, grade or approval.
Which checklist does this assessment use?
For restaurants, hotels, caterers, canteens, dhabas, tiffin/dabba services and food stalls it follows FSSAI’s Food Safety Inspection Checklist for Catering (47 items), including FSSAI’s orders of November 2022 and April 2025. Extra good-practice questions are clearly marked as advisory and never change your marks.
Is my restaurant data kept private?
Yes. Your answers are saved only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us, to FSSAI or to anyone else. You can download a backup file or delete everything at any time.
Will a high score guarantee I pass a real inspection?
No. Results are based only on your own answers. A Food Safety Officer may observe things differently, and other laws and local rules may apply. Use the results to find and fix problems early.
How long does the assessment take to finish?
About 20–30 minutes for the full checklist. Your progress saves automatically, so you can stop and continue later on the same device, or move it to another device with the backup file.
Can I use this tool on my phone or tablet?
Yes. It is designed for mobile phones first and works in any modern browser. No app download is needed.
What does a Food Safety Officer check in a restaurant?
FSSAI’s Catering inspection checklist has 47 items in five areas: design and facilities; control of operation (receiving, storage, cooking, cooling, holding and transport temperatures); maintenance and sanitation (cleaning, pest control, drains, waste); personal hygiene; and training and records. You can read the full list on the 47-point checklist page.
Which items are critical in the FSSAI catering checklist?
Eleven items are marked critical: potable water tested against IS 10500, thawing, cooking temperatures, cooling, hot and cold holding, reheating, food transport, food-grade packaging (critical since FSSAI’s order of 3 April 2025), no signs of pests, food handlers’ personal hygiene, and documentation and records. FSSAI treats failure of any critical item as Non-compliance.
How are the marks calculated?
Following FSSAI’s published marking method: Compliant earns 2 marks (4 for a critical item), Partially compliant earns 1 mark (not allowed on critical items), Non-compliant earns 0. Since FSSAI’s order of 2 November 2022, items that are not applicable are left out of the total. The maximum is 116 marks when every item applies.