The number of inspections of a facility should be based on __________.

The number of inspections of a facility should be based on the risk of illness, injury, or death because this approach prioritizes public health and safety. High-risk facilities, such as those handling potentially hazardous foods, require more frequent inspections to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and to prevent foodborne illnesses. This risk-based strategy allows regulatory agencies to allocate resources effectively, focusing on facilities that pose a greater potential threat to consumers due to the nature of their operations or past compliance issues.

Other methods, such as the number of sanitarians employed, may not directly correlate with the level of risk presented by individual facilities. Previous inspection records offer some insight but might not fully represent current conditions or risks. Similarly, while the occurrence of foodborne outbreaks is a critical factor to consider, it is just one aspect of a broader assessment of risk. Ultimately, risk-based inspections are key to protecting the public from food safety hazards.