Alabama Food Code Guide: Restaurant Inspections, Scoring & Compliance

How Alabama Food Inspections Work

Food safety inspections in Alabama are conducted by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), through its Environmental Health Division. County-level Environmental Health Officers carry out inspections statewide, with oversight and standardization at the state level.

Alabama follows a 100-point deduction-based system: facilities start at 100 and lose points for each violation found during inspection. The final score determines the status level of the establishment and the required enforcement response.

Routine inspections are unannounced. The frequency of routine inspections is based on the type of operation and its risk profile. High-volume restaurants that cook raw proteins to order are generally inspected at least twice per year; lower-risk operations such as convenience stores or facilities that serve only pre-packaged foods are inspected less frequently.

Critical violations require immediate corrective action during the inspection whenever possible. If a critical violation cannot be corrected on-site, it triggers a follow-up re-inspection within 10 days. A facility that scores below 60 faces immediate closure until violations are corrected and a passing re-inspection is completed.

Alabama's inspection results are publicly available at foodscores.state.al.us, allowing any consumer to look up the most recent inspection score for any licensed food service establishment in the state.

Quick Reference

Regulatory authority: Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Environmental Health Division

Governing rules: Alabama Rules and Regulations for Food Service (FDA Food Code basis)

Scoring system: 100-point deduction-based (higher is better)

Satisfactory: 85 to 100

Follow-up required: 70 to 84 (corrective action within 60 days)

Immediate corrective action: 60 to 69 (within 48 hours)

Closure: Below 60

Critical violation re-inspection: Within 10 days

Inspections announced: No -- all routine inspections are unannounced

Public results: foodscores.state.al.us

TCS cold holding: 41°F or below

TCS hot holding: 135°F or above

Alabama's Inspection Scoring Thresholds

Alabama starts every inspection at 100 points and deducts for violations found. Each threshold carries a specific enforcement response that determines what happens next. Critical violations at any score level trigger a 10-day re-inspection.

Satisfactory

Score: 85 to 100

The facility is in substantial compliance. No mandatory follow-up is required for the score, though any critical violation noted during the inspection still triggers a re-inspection within 10 days regardless of total score. Posted publicly at foodscores.state.al.us.

Follow-Up

Score: 70 to 84

The facility must complete corrective actions within 60 days. A follow-up inspection is scheduled. The establishment may remain open. Operators who do not resolve violations before the re-inspection may receive a lower score at the follow-up visit, escalating the enforcement response.

Immediate Action

Score: 60 to 69

Significant compliance failures require corrective action within 48 hours. ADPH schedules an urgent re-inspection. The facility may remain open but is considered a high-risk operation and will be subject to increased inspection frequency. All violations must be documented and addressed.

Closure

Score: Below 60

The facility is closed immediately. It cannot reopen until all violations are corrected and a passing re-inspection is completed by ADPH. Closures are a matter of public record and visible on foodscores.state.al.us, with lasting effects on consumer trust and inspection frequency.

Most Common Violations in Alabama Restaurant Inspections

ADPH inspectors focus heavily on critical items that create immediate food safety risk. These are the violations most frequently cited in Alabama food service inspections.

Cold holding above 41°FTCS foods in reach-in or walk-in coolers found above 41°F are among the most commonly cited and most heavily weighted violations in Alabama inspections. Inspectors probe every cold-held TCS item. Overcrowded coolers, door seal failures, and excessive opening during service are the most common causes.

Employee illness and hygiene failuresEmployees reporting for work while ill with vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or diagnosed reportable illness are a critical violation. Inspectors also check for bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods and whether employees are washing hands correctly and at required intervals throughout the shift.

Inadequate cooking temperaturesUndercooked poultry, ground beef, pork, or eggs are critical violations. ADPH inspectors may test food temperatures directly or observe cooking processes. Not reaching the required internal temperature (165°F for poultry, 155°F for ground beef) is a serious finding requiring immediate corrective action.

Improper food storage and cross-contaminationRaw animal proteins stored above ready-to-eat foods in coolers or on shelves. ADPH inspectors check cooler organization on every visit. Improperly stored raw chicken above deli meats or produce is one of the most visible and heavily weighted violations found in Alabama kitchens.

Date marking and food labeling failuresReady-to-eat TCS foods prepared on site and held over 24 hours must carry a date label with a discard date no more than 7 days from preparation. Inspectors check every container in the walk-in. Missing labels, incorrect dates, or food held past the discard date are common findings in Alabama inspections.

Pest evidence and structural maintenanceEvidence of cockroaches, rodents, or flies in food storage or preparation areas is a critical violation in Alabama. The state's hot, humid climate creates year-round pest pressure for restaurants, particularly in summer months. Active pest control contracts and sealing of entry points should be documented and maintained.

Built on Alabama code, not national averages

Scored to Alabama's thresholds

Our Alabama checklist applies the same 100-point deduction logic ADPH uses, so a self-audit in FoodSafe IQ tells you your approximate standing -- satisfactory, follow-up, or at-risk -- before the real inspector arrives. You see the same items with the same weight.

Critical violation tracking

Because any critical violation triggers a 10-day re-inspection regardless of total score, FoodSafe IQ flags critical violations separately and escalates them to management immediately. You know what triggers a mandatory follow-up and you can correct it before the inspector does.

foodscores.state.al.us awareness

Every Alabama inspection result is publicly available on foodscores.state.al.us. Your score is searchable by any customer. Our tools help you arrive at inspections with the violations already corrected -- so what appears on that public record reflects the operation you actually run.

What's included

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Alabama-specific inspection checklistCovers all major violation categories with the deduction weight ADPH applies under Alabama's 100-point system, reflecting how current Alabama inspectors categorize and score violations.

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AI photo reviewUpload photos from each zone and AI flags violations with the item's deduction weight, so staff understand what ADPH would deduct for and how much it costs on the final score before the real inspection happens.

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Critical violation escalationCritical violations are flagged separately and routed to management immediately -- because in Alabama, a critical violation triggers a mandatory 10-day re-inspection regardless of total score.

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Corrective action trackingEvery violation gets an assigned owner, due date, and verification step. Nothing closes until a manager confirms the fix -- protecting your score from violations that get flagged but not fully resolved.

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Temperature and HACCP loggingDigital logs for walk-ins, hot holding, and cooling cycles. Timestamped and verifiable -- the documentation that backs up your compliance when an ADPH inspector asks to see records.

Alabama Food Code: A Complete Guide for Restaurant Operators