8 January 2014

You may have read or heard about the SCORES ON DOORS scheme which will see all food establishments display a rating of between zero and five for food hygiene, which should preferably be shown on the front door.

You may have read or heard about the SCORES ON DOORS scheme which will see all food establishments display a rating of between zero and five for food hygiene, which should preferably be shown on the front door.

Outlets will be assessed on a wide range of criteria such as food preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage, as well as effective pest control, waste disposal and whether employees are suitably supervised, instructed or trained in food hygiene.

The range of products we manufacture, along with leaflets, wallcharts and the technical advice we offer, will all contribute to the food outlet working towards a top rating.

We are sure the food establishments near you are aware of the scheme but, if not, it may be a good idea to remind them.

Herewith are details issued by the Food Standards Agency, to give you a guide to hygiene standards in your favourite restaurants, takeaways and food shops.
 
Eating out? Getting food in? Check the food hygiene rating.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme helps make it easier for you to choose a place with good hygiene when you’re eating out or shopping for food. The food hygiene rating tells you about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels and other places you eat out, as well as in supermarkets and other food shops.

The scheme is run by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

Spotting good food hygiene
When you eat out or shop for food, look out for a sticker in the window or on the door, or a certificate on display, showing the food hygiene rating for that business. Businesses are encouraged to display these stickers and certificates at their premises in places where you can easily see them when you visit.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is new. This means that not all food businesses will have a hygiene rating yet. If the food outlet you want to visit isn’t displaying a sticker or certificate, you can speak to staff about the business’s rating.

You can also look up food hygiene ratings online at food.gov.uk/ratings

About hygiene ratings
Each business is given a hygiene rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the business’s local authority. The hygiene rating tells you the standards of hygiene found at the time of the inspection.

A business is given one of six ratings. These are on a scale from ‘0’ at the bottom, which means that urgent improvement is necessary, to ‘5’ at the top, which means that the business was found to have ‘very good’ hygiene standards. Any business should be able to reach this top rating.

The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality.         

What’s inspected?
The food safety officer inspecting a business checks how well the business is meeting the law on food hygiene by looking at:
•    how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, cooled    and stored

•    the condition of the structure of the buildings, including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, equipment and other facilities

•    how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe
The food safety officer will explain to the person who owns or manages the business if there are any improvements needed, what they are and how they can achieve a higher rating.