Consistency in inspection processes of food control officials and efficacy of official controls in restaurants in Finland

•Inspection processes differ between the different food control units and officials.•Controls are unified by the use of checklists and templates for inspection reports.•Use of appropriate checklists results in a more risk-based approach on inspections.•Pro forma templates for inspection reports increase the quality of documentation.•Time limits for corrective actions increase the efficacy of controls.

We evaluated the consistency and efficacy of inspection processes of 17 Finnish municipal food control units by analyzing inspection reports of 83 restaurants over the 2007-2011 period and by interviewing food business operators. Fifty-six officials of the food control units responded to an electronic questionnaire about their inspection activities. We found several factors related to the food establishment, the food control official and the working unit of the official that can affect the inspection processes and the efficacy of the controls. The use of checklists and templates for inspection reports enhanced the consistency and efficacy of the controls. The templates also reduced the time used for, and increased the quality of, reporting. Time limits for correcting non-compliances had a significant effect on the efficacy of controls.