7 Best Food Checklist App(s) To Streamline Food Safety & Inspections For Your Business

Management
Restaurant
Published on:
March 22, 2024
Read Time:
9
min

Unsafe food is a concern to human health and the economy, resulting in an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illness each year. 

Strict adherence to food safety regulations is critical for every restaurant or eating business.

Every stage of the process, from the time the materials arrive in the kitchen to the final presentation on the plate, must follow stringent hygiene guidelines. 

While conventional methods of food safety management have functioned well for decades, a food safety app has emerged as a valuable tool for improving food safety and audit processes, as well as elevating culinary quality.

This is where food safety applications come into play, providing a dynamic and creative way to ensure food quality and avoid foodborne infections. These mobile apps cater to a wide variety of demands, from individual home chefs to large-scale food service enterprises.

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The 7 Best Food Safety and Inspection Apps of 2024

Before we discuss different important aspects of food checklists and their application in real-life scenarios, let's double down on our collection of the best food checklist app(s).

Our Top Picks
#1
Xenia
The Workforce Operations Platform for Frontline Teams
#2
Connecteam
Versatile solution for multi-niche businesses
#3
GoSpotCheck
Good for multi-sized food businesses

1. Xenia - Overall No.1 Best Food Checklist App Online

A Safe Place to Eat: Implementing Food Safety Standards For Restaurants

Xenia can handle any food safety inspection you throw at it with an easy-to-use application for PCs, mobiles, and tablets (available on both Android and Apple devices).

This food safety software helps with the standardization of procedures and inspections, so you don't have to question whether the team at Food Service A is doing the same thing as the team at Food Service Branch B. 

In that order, Xenia is the perfect system to help your food business develop a solid foundation, and it all starts with planning and executing the fundamentals of end to end food business inspections, audits, corrective measures and vice versa.

Overall, when combined, this food checklist app enables business owners to not only scale their platform, but also increase team members' accountability, and add value to a delightful customer experience.

That's not all.

There's more to Xenia than what meets the eye.

For instance, every food business, restaurants in particular, do AM/PM checklists, HACCP audits, and temperature checks in some form or another. 

If temperature control is an issue, Xenia blends Bluetooth sensors to gather temperature data from freezers, refrigerators, and hand-held probes for worry-free compliance, and overall food safety.

Formalizing and standardizing various ongoing food inspection methods is the next significant step you can take as a company. This will make it easier for staff to replicate and become autonomous, trusted workers, which will free you up to concentrate on what's essential.

The platform has pre-built solutions for each procedure you've planned along the route. 

Access Xenia's online food safety and restaurant inspection checklists; construct SOPs using the software's cutting-edge AI-powered SOP generation tool, or design one from the start based on the demands of your food company.

The possibilities are limitless!

Key Features

  • Custom Checklists: Make your own checklists for concerning any range of food business operations, using ready-made templates, or customize as per your requirements. These checklists assist in standardizing your processes, team accountability and guarantee that all essential areas are thoroughly covered.
  • Task and Work Order Management: Assign assignments and work orders to the staff in to solve any food safety violations discovered throughout ongoing process. This feature also helps to guarantee process execution for workflows that directly impact your customers.
  • Reports and Analytics: Track your ongoing process progress over time and discover areas for improvement by analyzing and exporting reports. With the help of these insights, you can continue to guarantee the food's quality and safety for your customers while making data-driven decisions.
  • Efficient Communication: Team members can interact anytime; anywhere. All thanks to the messages and chat function. This makes it possible to resolve problems concerning food operations management, further enabling teams to avoid any near misses.
  • Corrective Actions: Digital tools help maintain a comprehensive record of all food management and BOH activities, ensuring consistent adherence to regulations.

Pricing

  • Free Forever: For up to 5 users with access to all the basic features.
  • Starter: $99 / month for up to 15 users with access to core features.
  • Premium: $199 / month for first 15 users with unlimited access to all the core & advanced functionalities.
  • Custom: Need something tailored to your organization?

Book a free demo today!

Rated 4.9/5 stars on Capterra
Free Version:
Pricing:
Supported Platforms:
Available for up to 5 users
Starter for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Free Version:
Available for up to 5 users
Pricing:
Premium for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Supported Platforms:
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Download Xenia app on

2. Connecteam

Connecteam provides a one-stop solution for restaurant inspection.

You can use it to instruct your staff on correct food storage and preparation, motivate them to keep the kitchen clean, put up health inspection guidelines, and more. 

It also offers reasonable pricing, excellent customer service, and the following features to assist you in meeting local health inspection criteria. 

This food checklist app also allows you to construct food safety checklists that include instructions for cleanup, food storage, cleaning, labeling, and prep, among other things. You can utilize them to make it simpler for your team members to follow processes even during peak periods.

Key Features

  • Train Management: Members of your management team can compose shift notes to check the freezers or plan periodic maintenance to ensure food is always kept properly.
  • Centralized Communication: Giving your staff convenient access to rules and regulations via a mobile app fosters a food safety culture and better prepares your team for health inspections. 
  • Inspection Scheduling: With its workforce scheduling tools, Connecteam separates it from many other inspection applications. These enable you to construct unique schedule templates in order to save time for your management team. 

Pricing

  • Free-for-life plan available
  • Premium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

3. GoSpotCheck

GoSpotCheck provides a solution for restaurant operators to create checklists and gather data.

It also enables the recording of critical safety data such as freezer temperatures, allergy contamination occurrences, and location scorecards.

GoSpotCheck provides easy-to-read analytics reports for monitoring progress when owners provide the data.

The software is useful for navigating through the inspection procedure from the perspective of a health inspector. However, it might be difficult to understand for those who aren't tech-savvy and often freeze. 

Key Features

  • Distribute Tasks: Create & assign dynamic tasks in a drag-and-drop builder.
  • Guide Teams: Track KPIs to spot opportunities and grow sales with configurable reporting.
  • Get Insights: Ensure that standards are met and that reference materials for context and training are shared in-app.

Pricing

  • Essentials
  • Pro
  • Enterprise

Contact the vendor for pricing for each of these plans

4. SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture is a useful tool for health inspectors since it allows them to create inspection checklists.

They may use it to create templates for each inspection and transform them into reports. 

The software has a drag-and-drop template builder, which speeds up the pre-inspection process.

After completing a report, an inspector can incorporate analytics for a comprehensive report that restaurant owners can utilize to enhance their performance. They can assign remedial actions and make notes quickly. 

Key Features

  • Health & Safety Management: Maintain team safety on the work while fostering a safety culture across your business.
  • Risk & Compliance: Using increased visibility and a data-driven approach, you can identify, analyze, and minimize threats to your people and assets.
  • Operational Excellence: Optimize processes to increase productivity, efficiency, and the delivery of high-quality goods or services on a large scale.

Pricing 

  • Free: $0/ user/Up to 10 users
  • Premium: $24/seat/month Premium when billed annually
  • Enterprise: Ask the vendor

5. Leafe

Up next on our best food checklist app list, we've got Leafe.

The program is a UK-based platform developed by cooks, assists chefs in managing their kitchens.

The software allows you to keep track of food temperatures, storage, and inventory. 

Kitchen managers and chefs can utilize this software to assist in ensuring consistency and quality.

They can make processes easier by developing opening and closing checklists. However, as of 2023, this app is only accessible to firms headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Its cheapest price option only covers up to five people, limiting it to the management staff. 

Key Features

  • Security on Lock: With complete digital recordkeeping and cloud storage powered by Google Cloud Services, Leafe removes all uncertainty. Feel confident that your records will always be accessible and in excellent condition.
  • Local Council Approval: Take the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with a simple slider tool; no typing is necessary. With specific checklists tailored to your location, your team members will know precisely what to do when they come and before they depart.
  • More Control: Get clear insights into your team’s compliance, where they have gaps in training, and understand where you need to take action.

Pricing

  • Basic: £31 Per Month
  • Standard: £50 Per Month
  • Pro: £120 Per Month

6. FoodCode-Pro

FoodCode-Pro, created by inspectors for inspectors, provides restaurant operators with tools to improve food safety.

They could employ it to monitor Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and regulations in order to establish the finest methods.

Managers may utilize FoodCode-Pro's food safety dashboards to monitor their overall performance and track progress on required changes. Its thorough compliance checks provide specific information for each employee.

Furthermore, FoodCode-Pro provides information on restaurant health and safety rules by country and state to assist you in complying with requirements. It also has a 3D violation search capability that allows staff to see the inspection process. 

Key Features

  • Intuitive Software: FoodCode-Pro provides an FDA (and state) inspection checklist and reports with accompanying documentation.
  • Smarter Food Safety Tools: A team that is completely committed to and knowledgeable about all elements of food safety rules, practices, and operations.
  • Food Safety Checklists: Food safety checklists help guarantee that procedures such as food handling, storage, preparation, and serving are in accordance with safety standards and laws.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing info

7. GoAudits

GoAudits can help you improve your food hygiene inspection process while adhering to industry best practices by using our deep industry experience and broad resources.

Hundreds of pre-made templates and checklists customized exclusively for food safety inspections are included in our entire package.

You can easily adapt these templates or change them to meet your specific needs. We also provide a free service to digitize your current inspection checklists, enabling a quick and easy transfer.

Key Features

  • Intuitive Interface: Make the checklists and forms easy to complete for the end-users, with the least amount of errors and no training required.
  • Professional Reports: Instantly develop thorough, engaging, and informative reports that match your brand with our inspection report software.
  • Real-Time Insights: Instantly develop thorough, engaging, and informative reports that match your brand with our inspection report software.

Pricing

  • Free Trial: 14 Days
  • Starter: $10 /user/month at Annual Billing
  • Enterprise: $30/user/month at Annual Billing

What is a Food Safety App?

A food safety app is a mobile or online application that helps organizations ensure and maintain food safety.

Some include food storage standards, safe handling methods, real-time recall warnings, temperature monitoring, and training materials.

What to Look For in a Food Safety and Inspection App

To assist you in streamlining your operations, only the best restaurant inspection applications should provide the following features:

  • Inspection Checklists: Customized checklists may be created and used to undertake comprehensive inspections of food processing locations, equipment, and materials.
  • Temperature Monitoring: A food hygiene app allows you to measure and record food temperatures to guarantee correct storage and cooking, reducing hazardous bacteria development.
  • Training Materials and Educational Resources: Some food safety management software provides educational resources and training materials to educate personnel on food safety protocols and best practices.
  • Corrective Actions: You can easily capture and report food safety problems using food safety management software. It allows you to initiate corrective and preventative actions.
  • Allergen Management: Restaurants and food dealers must be aware of allergens. Food safety software can help organizations track and manage allergens in their inventory, as well as prevent cross-contamination.

How to Determine if You Need a Food Safety App?

If you fit into one of the following groups, you'll require a food safety app:

  • Restaurants: Eateries are expected to follow rigorous food safety rules. A restaurant inspection app can assist establishments in remaining compliant, enhancing quality, and avoiding foodborne disease concerns.
  • Food Retailers: Grocery shops and convenience stores, among others, are subject to food safety standards. They can employ food safety management software to monitor and manage food temperatures, allergy information, and other food safety data.
  • Food Producers: Food manufacturers must guarantee that their goods are safe for customers. Food hygiene software can assist them in creating and managing food safety procedures across their manufacturing operations.
  • School Food Service Programs: School food service programs must offer safe and healthy meals to children. A food safety app can assist them in monitoring and managing food temperatures, allergy information, and other food safety data.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Food Safety App

Food safety is critical for every food service company, and mobile food safety applications may be important tools for expediting inspections, maintaining compliance, and avoiding foodborne illnesses.

With so many food safety applications to choose from, it's critical to examine the following factors:

  • Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: Choose a food safety software that complies with the particular food safety legislation and standards that apply to your company. Ensure that the app includes all important topics, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), cleanliness, pest control, and staff training.
  • Ease of Use and Functionality: The food inspection software should be straightforward and user-friendly, even for personnel with varied degrees of technical competence. Consider navigation, data input, reporting, and device accessibility.
  • Offline Functionality: Consider food safety applications that include offline capabilities, allowing for inspections in places with restricted connection and guaranteeing smooth operations.
  • Customizability and Adaptability: The food safety software should be adaptable to your individual company's demands and workflow. Look for capabilities such as the ability to create customized inspection checklists, incorporate company-specific rules and processes, and integrate with current software systems.
  • Reporting and Data Analytics: The food safety management software should provide comprehensive reports that give insights into food safety trends, identify possible concerns, and monitor remedial actions. Look for tools such as data visualization, trend analysis, and export possibilities.
  • Mobile Accessibility: The food safety app should be available via mobile devices, enabling inspections and data input to take place anywhere in the plant.
  • Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability: Examine the app's price plan to verify it fits your budget and company size. Consider the app's scalability in order to enable future development and expansion
  • User Feedback and Reviews: Read reviews from other firms in your sector to acquire insights into the app's efficacy, user experience, and any downside.
  • Free Trials and Demonstrations: Use free trials and demonstrations to assess the app's functionality and appropriateness for your requirements. Engage with the merchant to ask questions and resolve any issues before making a purchase.

Bottomline

Leveraging technology to enhance food safety and streamline inspections is crucial for the success and compliance of any food-related business.

The seven best food checklist apps highlighted above offer powerful tools to facilitate efficient monitoring, record-keeping, and compliance with safety standards. 

By adopting these apps, businesses can not only ensure the well-being of their customers but also streamline their internal processes, reduce risks, and stay ahead of regulatory requirements.

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