Food Hygiene Ratings

1. What are the requirements of the Statutory Scheme?

2. What does the Food Hygiene Rating mean?

3. Are all food businesses covered by the law requiring the display of food hygiene ratings?

4. When my business is rated, what will I receive?

5. I am a Food Business Operator. Can I Appeal against my rating?

6. Can I request a further visit to re-rate the premises?

7. Do I have a Right to Reply?

8. Where can I see what ratings food business have?

9. What happens of the food business fails to comply with any of the requirements under the scheme?

10. If I am happy for my food hygiene rating to be uploaded to the FSA website before the Appeal Period passes, can I request it?

11. Further Information

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What does the Food Hygiene Rating mean?

When food businesses are inspected by Local Authority officers they already score food businesses levels of compliance against three criteria for the purposes of determining the frequency of inspection. These criteria are defined in Annex 5 of the Food Law Code of Practice (Wales) and are:

The level of (current) compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures (including food handling practices and procedures, and temperature control),
The level of (current) compliance with structural requirements (including cleanliness, layout, condition of structure, lighting, ventilation, facilities etc.)
The confidence in management/control procedures.

Each element is numerically scored against the relevant criteria on the basis of guidance given in the Code. The lower the score received, the higher the level of compliance noted.

These numerical scores are then 'mapped' to the relevant tier of the food hygiene rating Scheme. This is illustrated below.


Annex 5 scores	0-15	20	25-30	35-40	45-50	>50
Additional scoring factor	No score >5	No score >10	No score >10	No score >15	No score >20	-
Food hygiene rating	5	4	3	2	1	0

ID: 1593, revised 23/08/2017