How to read an NVWA inspection result?
What is the NVWA?
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) operates under the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. They ensure food safety and verify that businesses comply with regulations. Every restaurant in the Netherlands is regularly inspected.
The four inspection categories
Each restaurant is assessed on four areas:
1. Proper food handling
Is food stored at the correct temperature? Are raw and prepared products separated? Are expiration dates in order?
2. Allergen information
Can the restaurant indicate which allergens are present in their dishes? Is this information available to customers?
3. Hygiene
Is the restaurant clean? Are workspaces, equipment and sanitary facilities hygienic?
4. Pest control
Are there measures against pests? Is there a pest control plan?
The three verdicts
For each category and as an overall verdict, there are three possible outcomes:
✅ Compliant — The restaurant meets all requirements. This is the best result.
⚠️ Improvements required — Issues were found, but the situation is not severe. The restaurant must address these before the next inspection.
❌ Enhanced supervision — Serious violations were found. The restaurant is under enhanced supervision and will be inspected more frequently.
There is also a fourth status: No recent data — No recent inspection results are available.
Where can you find these results?
The NVWA publishes all results on their own website. However, it is not easy to search.
RestoCheck makes it simple: search by restaurant name, city or cuisine and view the inspection result instantly. We combine NVWA data with Google Maps ratings, dietary options (halal, vegetarian), and kid-friendly facilities.
Tips for consumers
- Check the inspection result before dining somewhere, especially at restaurants you haven't visited before
- An "Improvements required" verdict is not cause for alarm — it means minor issues were found
- "Enhanced supervision" is more serious — the NVWA monitors these restaurants more closely
- Inspection results change — a restaurant that previously had issues may now score excellently
Conclusion
Transparency about food safety helps consumers make informed choices. On RestoCheck you can view the inspection results of 30,000+ restaurants in the Netherlands — free and independent.