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Food hygiene rating scheme

Our food hygiene rating scheme highlights businesses with good standards, helps food businesses recognise when further improvements are needed and allows customers to make a more informed choice about where to eat or shop for food.

Find out how your local food business scores by searching the Food rating scheme (This link will open in a new window) website.

How businesses are assessed

All businesses inspected since 1 January 2006 have been assessed against a national food safety risk-rating scheme. The risk rating scoring system is based on the following criteria from the Food Standards Agency's Food Law Code of Practice which all councils use:

• The standard of food hygiene (including food handling procedures prevention of cross contamination, chilling, cooking and temperature control).
• The structure and cleanliness of the premises.
• Confidence in management and control of food safety (the operator's 'track record' on food safety, the implementation and documentation of an effective food safety management system).

Criteria

The score for each criteria refers to the level of compliance with legal food safety duties.

Risk Rating Categories	Meeting or exceeding legal requirements	Very good with only some minor non compliance	Some evidence of non compliance	Some major non compliance	Major non compliance	Almost total non compliance
Food Hygiene	0	5	10	15	20	25
Structure and Cleaning	0	5	10	15	20	25
Management and Control	0	5	10	n/a	20	30

 

The proposed food hygiene rating award scheme is based on the total risk score achieved at the time of the inspection for the three parameters and an additional scoring factor of no individual score more than X.

Scores

The award ranges from level five for premises with very good standards of food hygiene to level zero for food business with very poor hygiene standards where urgent improvement is necessary.

Total score	Level of compliance	Hygiene Rating Award
0 to 15 with no individual score more than 5	Very Good	Level five
16 to 24 with no individual score more than 10	Good	Level four
25 to 30 with no individual score more than 10	Generally satisfactory	Level three
31 to 40 with no individual score more than 15	Improvement necessary	Level two
41 to 50 with no individual score more than 20	Major improvement necessary	Level one
Above 50	Urgent improvement necessary	Zero

 

Each premise receives a certificate with the relevant award level and a sticker which can be displayed at the entrance to the premises. The results are also be published on the Food Standards Agency's website. (This link will open in a new window)

Certain premises such as those not dealing with the public (importers) or not consider to be food businesses (chemists) are not included in the scheme unless they request it.

Further information on the scheme can be found at: Food Standards Agency Hygiene Rating scheme (This link will open in a new window).

Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) food safety system

A major factor in achieving a high hygiene award will be the correct implementation of a documented food safety system and the keeping of appropriate records.

The Food Standards Agency has produced the Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) food safety system to help small businesses comply with this requirement. The SFBB system is available in a separate format for caterers, retailers and child minders. The SFBB system consists of a safe methods section which needs to be completed, the keeping of simple records and a daily diary.

Free SFBB packs and replacement diaries can be ordered by telephoning FSA Publications on 0845 606 0667 or emailing foodstandards@ecgroup.co.uk.

For other food businesses which cannot use the above systems we have provided a template document to enable them to develop their own bespoke system

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