What is the Rating Scheme?
Each business is awarded a rating by the Food Safety Officer who
inspects it. The rating is calculated according to the level of
compliance with food hygiene and safety law, the structural
condition of the premises and the confidence in management controls
/ procedures.
All businesses covered by the Scheme will be
given one of the following ratings:
0
Urgent improvement
necessary
1 Major
improvement necessary
2 Improvement
necessary
3 Generally
satisfactory
4 Good
5 Very
good
The rating demonstrates how well the business
performs overall. The highest rating means the business has
achieved a very good standard of hygiene and the lowest rating
means urgent improvement is needed to meet the requirements of food
hygiene law. Where necessary, the Officer will explain to the
person who owns or manages the business what improvements need to
be made and what action they can take to improve their hygiene
rating.
A good food hygiene rating is good for
business.
How can consumers find out what rating a food business
achieves?
Consumers can view the rating awarded to a
business on the Food Standards Agency (external
link) website.
Each business will be provided with a
certificate that states their rating, which they will be encouraged
to display to customers. The display of the certificate is
voluntary; however, as the general public become more aware of the
scheme, if they don’t see a certificate they may ask ‘why’?
How often will a food business be given a new rating?
A new rating is given each time the business
is inspected by the Council. The frequency of inspection is
determined by the level of food safety risk at the last
inspection.
What does ‘Awaiting Inspection’ mean?
If a new business has been set up or there is
a new owner, it will not have a food hygiene rating to begin with
but it may display a certificate that says ‘Awaiting Inspection’. A
rating will only be given after a Food Safety Officer has inspected
the business.
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