Food safety inspections
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is designed to help consumers choose where to eat out or shop by giving them information about the hygiene standards in food outlets at the time they are inspected.
Each business is given a 'hygiene rating' when it is inspected by one of our food safety officers. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.
Our food safety officer inspecting a business checks how well the business is meeting the law by looking at:
- how hygienically the food is handled - how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
- the condition of the structure of the buildings - the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
- how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.
When we visit
We visit all food premises, without prior notification where possible.
We visit higher risk premises more frequently than those in lower risk categories.
If practices or conditions are not satisfactory, we try to resolve the situation informally.
If we need to resort to formal action, we may serve a legal notice, prosecute, or in extreme cases close the business.
Following an inspection most businesses are given a food hygiene rating.
Receiving a food hygiene rating
We notify you of the rating once the inspection is completed or soon after
If no appeal is entered within 21 days after notification, the rating is submitted for publication on the Food Standards Agency website.
You have a right to reply about the food hygiene rating you are given.
The right to reply allows the business to tell customers how the business has improved its hygiene standards or if there were unusual circumstances at the time of inspection. This response will be published online, alongside the rating, by the local authority.
It is not for making complaints or criticising the scheme or food safety officer.
How to reply
Download and fill in the form
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes.
Paperclip Explain what you have done to make required improvements detailed in the inspection letter, or give reasons for the circumstances at the time of the inspection.
Download formAfter you've replied
Your reply is published on the Food Hygiene Ratings website.
It may be edited to remove any offensive, defamatory, or clearly inaccurate or irrelevant remarks.
If you want to appeal your rating, initially contact the inspecting officer.
Contact details are left with you at the time of inspection.
If you don't resolve the matter informally, you can lodge a formal appeal within 21 days of your rating allocation.
How to make a formal appeal
Download and fill in the form
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes.
Download formAfter you've replied
Your rating will be reviewed and the outcome of your appeal communicated to you within 21 days.
If you make the improvements to hygiene standards that are highlighted in your inspection report, you can request a re-visit with a view to giving you a new and potentially higher food hygiene rating. There will be a charge for each re-visit carried out at your request.
The re-visit will be carried out within three months of receipt and acceptance of your application and payment.
How to request a revisit
Download and fill in the form
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes.
Download formAfter you've made your request
The visit will be unannounced and will take place within 3 months of your request being accepted and payment made.
If your case for a revisit isn't strong enough, we can refuse to revisit.
If we revisit, the officer will check you have made required improvements and assess your overall level of compliance.
Your rating could go up, down or remain the same after the revisit
Your inspection
At the inspection, the food safety officer will check how well you are meeting the law on food hygiene. Three areas will be assessed. These are:
- how hygienically the food is handled - how it is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored, and what measures are taken to prevent food being contaminated with bacteria
- the condition of the structure of the premises including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, equipment and other facilities
- how you manage and record what you do to make sure food is safe using a system like Safer food, better business
You will be given a score for each area. Food safety officers use guidance to determine how to score each of these areas.
We rate the hygiene standards on a scale of 0 (urgent improvement necessary), to 5 (very good).
The scores are classified as:
- 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
- 1 - Major improvement necessary
- 2 - Improvement necessary
- 3 - Generally satisfactory
- 4 - good
- 5 - Very good
| Criteria | Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How hygienically the food is handled | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Condition of structure | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| How you manage and document food safety | 0 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 30 | |
| Total score | 0 | 80 | ||||
| Level of compliance | High | Low | ||||
Your food hygiene rating
The rating given depends on how well the business does overall. It also depends on the area(s) that need improving the most, the business may do better in some areas and less well in others.
To get the top rating, you must score no more than 5 in each of the three areas. All businesses should be able to get the top rating. You will automatically get a new rating at each planned inspection.
| Your Rating | Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total score | 0 – 15 | 20 | 25 – 30 | 35 – 40 | 45 – 50 | > 50 |
| Highest permitted individual score | 5 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 20 | - |
| Rating | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Businesses given ratings of 0 must make urgent improvements to hygiene standards. Food service officers will use a number of enforcement tools as well as giving advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made.
If the officers find that a business's hygiene standards are very poor and there is an imminent risk to health, the officer must take action to make sure that consumers are protected. Where appropriate, this could mean prohibiting part of an operation or closing the business down, but this will not occur in every case.
Scores of 4 or 5 can be achieved by complying with food safety laws.
Don't ignore inspection reports
Look at your last food hygiene inspection report to check that you've taken all of the action needed to ensure that you meet legal requirements. If you can't find your last report, contact us and we will be able to forward a copy.
Help and guidance
If you don't get the top rating and you have queries about the improvements you need to make to get a better rating, then the inspecting officer can give you advice. If it is in response to a recent inspection you should contact him/her directly
Training
Ensuring that you and your staff are adequately trained and/or instructed is an important part of food safety management. Food handling staff not only need to appreciate the fundamentals of food hygiene but also be instructed in the elements of the food safety management procedure that they are responsible for carrying out. It is recommended that food handling staff are trained to an equivalent of the CIEH or RSPH Level 2. The person responsible for maintaining your food safety management procedures (also known as HACCP) should also have a good understanding of how to manage food safety in that business.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
If you do not have a documented food safety management system in place or keep records of your food safety checks it is unlikely that you will be able to score a very good food hygiene rating. Food safety management plans need not be very complicated.
You have three options:
- Complete your own food safety management procedures;
- Get a food safety consultant to help you; or
- Use an 'off the shelf' resource.
Your choice will depend upon how complex your operation is and the size of your business
Safer food, better business
The Food Standards Agency have developed a resource called 'Safer food, better business that can be appropriate in some businesses. It also comes in a range of languages and for different types of food business.
A sticker has have been left with you. You can tell your customers how good your hygiene standards are by displaying the sticker on the window or the door. If you do not have a suitable glass surface, you could fix the sticker onto a transparent surface before fixing that onto a wall or other surface. Please destroy the sticker showing your previous rating as only one rating - the most recent rating should be displayed. Continuing to display a previous rating may constitute an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Your rating will also be published on the Food Standards Agency's website in 3 to 5 weeks.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| A | THE FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2013 REGULATION 19(1) REGULATION (EC) No 852/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL OF 29 APRIL 2004 ON THE HYGIENE OF FOODSTUFFS |
| FS1 | Hazard Analysis Chapter II Article 5 |
| FS2 | Training / Instruction Annex II Chapter XII (FBO and Staff Competence) |
| FS3 | Premises Cleanliness, Maintenance and Repair Annex II Chapter I paragraph 1 |
| FS4 | General Requirements Annex II Chapter I paragraph 2 (lay-out, design, temperature controlled storage) |
| FS5 | Sanitary Accommodation Annex II Chapter I paragraph 3 |
| FS6 | Hand Washing Facilities Annex II Chapter I paragraph 4 |
| FS7 | Suitable and Sufficient Ventilation Annex II Chapter I paragraph 5 |
| FS8 | Ventilation to Sanitary Accommodation Annex II Chapter I paragraph 6 |
| FS9 | Adequate Lighting Annex II Chapter I paragraph 7 |
| FS10 | Adequate Drainage Annex II Chapter I paragraph 8 |
| FS11 | Adequate Changing Facilities Annex II Chapter I paragraph 9 |
| FS12 | Storage of cleaning Agents Annex II Chapter I paragraph 10 |
| FS13 | Specific Requirements relating to Food Rooms Annex II Chapter II paragraph 1 (floors, walls, ceiling, windows & doors) |
| FS14 | Facilities for Cleaning, Disinfecting and Storage of Equipment Annex II Chapter II paragraph 2 |
| FS15 | Facilities for Washing Food Annex II Chapter II paragraph 3 |
| FS16 | Requirements for Mobile Premises Annex II Chapter III |
| FS17 | Transport, Conveyances and Containers Annex II Chapter IV |
| FS18 | Equipment Requirements Annex II Chapter V |
| FS19 | Food Waste Requirements Annex II Chapter VI |
| FS20 | Water Supply (incl. Steam and Ice) Annex II Chapter VII |
| FS21 | Personal Hygiene Annex II Chapter VIII paragraph 1 |
| FS22 | Sickness Arrangements Annex II Chapter VIII paragraph 2 |
| FS23 | Provisions Applicable to Foodstuffs Annex II Chapter IX (protect food from contamination) |
| FS24 | Pest Control Annex II Chapter IX paragraph 4 |
| FS25 | Temperature Requirements Annex II Chapter IX paragraph 5 |
| FS26 | Cooling of Foodstuffs Annex II Chapter IX paragraph 6 |
| FS27 | Thawing of Foodstuffs Annex II Chapter IX paragraph 7 |
| FS28 | Wrapping and Packaging of Foodstuffs Annex II Chapter X |
| FS29 | Heat Treatment of Food in Hermetically Sealed Containers Annex II Chapter XI |
| FS30 | FBO Registration Article 6 Para 2 |
| B | THE FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2013 |
| FS/TC1 | Cold Food above 8°C Regulation 32 Schedule 4 paragraph 2 |
| FS/TC2 | Hot Holding Requirements Regulation 32 Schedule 4 paragraph 6 |
| C | THE FOOD SAFETY ACT 1990 |
| FSA1 | Food Rendered Injurious to Health Section 7 |
| FSA2 | Food Not of Nature, Substance or Quality Section 14 |
| D | FOOD INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2014 |
| FIR1 | Allergens Information- Regulation 5 |
| E | REGULATION (EC)178/2002 |
| 178/1 | Food Safety Requirements Article 14 ( Food Past its use-by date) |
| 178/2 | Traceability Article 18 |
| 178/3 | Responsibility for Food: Food Business Operators Article 19 |
| F | THE ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS (ENFORCEMENT) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2011 |
| AB1 | Disposal of Animal By-Products Schedule 1 Paragraph 6 |
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