NCASS Guide to the

National Food Hygiene

Rating Scheme

www.ncass.org.uk
What is the National The Environmental Health Officer who
inspects your business will check how
Food Hygiene Rating well the business is meeting the law in the
following areas:
Scheme (FHRS)?
1. Food Safety and Hygiene Procedures
The national FHRS is an initiative overseen – This focuses on how hygienically food
by the Food Standards Agency and local is handled, as well as how it is prepared,
authorities. It applies in England, Wales and cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.
Northern Ireland. It provides information Scores awarded are 0/5/10/15/20/25.
about the hygiene standards and
compliance levels within food businesses 2. Structural Requirements – This focuses
at the time they are inspected. There are six on the condition of the structure of
different ratings which can be awarded to building(s), as well as the cleanliness,
businesses; 0 (the worst) to 5 (the best). layout, lighting, ventilation and other
amenities. Scores awarded are
The purpose of the scheme is to allow 0/5/10/15/20/25.
customers to make informed decisions
about the places that they buy food from 3. Confidence in Management Procedures
or where they eat out. It also encourages – This focuses on how a business
businesses to improve their hygiene manages and records what it does to
standards with the overall aim to reduce make sure food is safe as well as its’
incidents of food borne illness and the harm compliance history/track record. Scores
that this can cause. awarded are 0/5/10/20/30.

It applies to all places where food is The scoring criteria for each of the three
supplied, sold or consumed, for example: areas is outlined in detailed guidance
known as The Food Hygiene Rating Brand
• restaurants, pubs, cafes and hotels Standard. Officers use this guidance to
• takeaways, mobile food vans and market ensure consistency in how they score.
stalls
The total numerical score is then mapped
• staff/student canteens and hotels
across the six food hygiene ratings ranging
• supermarkets, convenience stores and from 0 (the worst) to 5 (the best). A
health food shops summary of the scoring criteria is detailed in
• schools, hospitals and care homes Table 1; Food Hygiene Rating Scoring Chart
on page 4.
How are food hygiene ratings determined?
Food safety and hygiene procedures +
Your routine food safety inspection will Structural requirements + Confidence
result in a food hygiene rating which will in management procedures = Total
appear on the Food Hygiene Rating website Intervention FHSR score.
Search for ratings | Food Standards Agency.

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The rating depends on the total intervention
rating score for the three areas but also
takes into account the highest of the three
scores; this is called the additional scoring
factor. Where an individual scoring factor
exceeds an additional scoring factor, the
food hygiene rating will drop down to
the rating where it no longer exceeds the
additional scoring factor.

This is detailed further in Table 2: Mapping

of Numerical Scores on page 6.

To get the highest rating the business must

do well in all three areas. The lower the
overall score the better the rating.

The information surrounding the food

hygiene rating scheme can be dense and
hard to understand. Our comprehensive
guide, which includes a useful scoring
chart and mapping table, can be referred
to multiple times to support your
understanding. We have also included
further details on how the food hygiene
rating score is calculated. Remember: the
lower the score the better!

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Table 1: Food Hygiene Rating Scoring Chart

Score Food Safety and Hygiene Structural Requirements Confidence in Management

30 Not applicable. Not applicable. • No evidence of food safety

management/documented
procedures.

• Significant hazards not

understood and no effective
controls in place.

• Staff not suitably supervised,

instructed and/or trained and no
appreciation of food hazards or
controls.

• Poor track record.

• Management likely not to

recognise or accept need for food
safety hygiene and controls.

25 • Almost total non-compliance with • Almost total non-compliance with Not applicable.
legal requirements. structural requirements.

• Very poor food hygiene practices, • Insufficient space in which to operate

serious food contamination risks, safely.
inadequate temperature control
for high-risk foods and major • Evidence of widespread pest
improvement needed in all areas. infestation or totally unsatisfactory
waste disposal provision.
• Failure to apply any (i.e. all) of
the control measures required to
prevent cross-contamination.

• Almost total non-compliance

with requirements for safe food
preparation, cooking, re-heating,
cooling or storage of food identified.

20 • Poor standard of hygienic food • Major and widespread non- • Food safety management/
handling, temperature control and compliance with structural documented procedures
staff personal hygiene and major requirements. inappropriate or inadequate.
improvements required.
• Poor design layout that is likely to • Significant hazards not fully
• Inadequate implementation of lead to cross-contamination and to understood and not all controls in
many of the control measures food safety being compromised. place.
required to prevent cross-
contamination. • Evidence of pest infestation or • Significant improvements in food
inadequate waste disposal provision. safety procedures/ implementation
• Major and widespread non- of controls required.
compliance with requirements for
safe food preparation, cooking, re- • Some staff not suitably
heating, cooling or storage of food supervised, instructed and/or
identified. trained.

• Varying track record

• Management likely to show

some reluctance to recognise and
accept need for food safety and
hygiene controls.

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Score Food Safety and Hygiene Structural Requirements Confidence in Management

15 • Inadequate implementation of • Significant improvements needed in Not applicable.

some of the control measures standard of structure and equipment
required to prevent cross- cleaning, maintenance and repair,
contamination. and in hand and equipment washing
facilities.
• Some major non- compliance
with requirements for safe food • Poor design layout potentially
preparation, cooking, re-heating, leading to cross-contamination and to
cooling or storage of food identified. food safety being compromised.

• Major non-compliance with

structural requirements (e.g. may be
some damaged work surfaces, some
significant dirt.)

• Evidence of pest infestation/

activity or inadequate waste disposal
provision.

10 • Standards being maintained or • Generally satisfactory standard of • Generally satisfactory food

improving. structural and equipment cleaning. safety controls in place.
Fairly well maintained and in
• Some lapses in food hygiene and reasonable repair. • All significant hazards
safety procedures. understood and controls in place.
• Appropriate facilities provided with
• Adequate control measures some issues of non-compliance. • Food safety management records
in place to prevent cross- appropriate and are generally
contamination. • Standards being maintained or maintained but some deficiencies/
improving. gaps identified.
• Generally satisfactory food
preparation, cooking, re-heating, • Some repairs may be required. • Staff generally suitably
cooling and storage of food supervised, instructed and/or
demonstrated but some lapses may • Evidence of satisfactory pest control. trained but there may be some
be evident over short periods. minor issues.
• Evidence of satisfactory waste
disposal provision. • Satisfactory track record.

5 • Only minor lapses in food hygiene • Only minor repairs required. • Food safety management/
and safety procedures. procedures in place.
• Evidence of adequate pest control.
• All necessary control measures • Hazards understood, properly
in place to prevent cross- • Evidence of adequate waste disposal controlled, managed and reviewed.
contamination. provision.
• Food safety management records
• Safe food preparation, cooking, appropriate and are generally
re-heating, cooling and storage of maintained.
food demonstrated.
• Staff suitably supervised,
instructed and/or trained with good
general staff knowledge and new
staff receiving induction training.

• Good track record.

0 • All necessary control measures • No repairs required and no potential • Food safety management/
in place to prevent cross- improvements identified, or robust procedures in place.
contamination. procedures in place for ongoing
rectification of minor repairs. • Hazards understood, properly
• Safe food preparation, cooking, controlled, managed and reviewed.
re-heating, cooling and storage of • Premises and equipment clean and in
food demonstrated. good condition. • Food safety management records
appropriate and maintained.
• Evidence of effective pest control and
waste disposal provision. • All staff suitably supervised,
instructed and/or trained.

• Excellent track record.

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Table 2: Mapping of Numerical Scores

Total Additional Scoring Food Descriptor Window Sticker

Intervention factor Hygiene
Rating Scores Rating

0 to 15 No individual score 5 Very Good

greater than 5

20 No individual score 4 Good

greater than 10

25 to 30 No individual score 3 Generally

greater than 10 Satisfactory

35 to 40 No individual score 2 Improvement

greater than 15 Necessary

45 to 50 No individual score 1 Major

greater than 20 Improvement
Necessary

>50 - 0 Urgent
Improvement
Necessary

A breakdown of an example food hygiene rating is detailed below:

Food Safety Procedures = 5

Structural requirements = 15
Confidence in Management = 10

Total Intervention Scoring = 30

You will receive an overall food hygiene rating of 2 – Improvement Necessary. This is
because the score for Structural Requirements exceeds the additional scoring factor for a
rating of 3, which drops the rating down the scale to a 2.

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When will the food hygiene rating be However, there may be occasions when
issued and how will I find out? they need to consult the food hygiene rating
brand standard guidance and so cannot
Your food hygiene rating will be awarded give you your rating there and then.
following a routine food safety inspection. A
food hygiene rating will not be issued when The officer must then notify you in writing
a revisit or a spot check has been carried of your score within 14 days of your
out, as this usually only involves looking at inspection and provide you with your new
part of the business or a particular process. window sticker. Your food hygiene rating
should be clearly outlined on the written
The frequency of the routine inspection inspection report. It should also highlight
varies depending on the type of business. which risk category your business falls in to.

Food businesses are scored from A-E in If you are unsure about this information
line with the Food Law Code of Practice, contact your Environmental Health Officer
depends on whether they’re considered low to clarify this further.
or high risk by the nature of the foods they
prepare, the activities they undertake
and their compliance with food safety
regulations.

A = inspection at least every 6 months

B = inspection at least every 12 months
C = inspection at least every 18 months
D = inspection at least every 2 years
E = inspection at least every 3 years

The Environmental Health Officer

who undertakes your food hygiene
inspection will always try and advise
you of the food hygiene rating score
that you have been awarded, at the end
of the visit and provide you with your
new window sticker.

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Example of how the food hygiene rating may
be reported:
Annex 5 score

Compliance with Food Hygiene and Safety Procedures: 15

Some major non-compliance with statutory obligations.

Compliance with Structural Requirements: 15

Some major non-compliance with statutory obligations.

Confidence in management/control procedures: 20

Significant improvements in food safety procedures/implementation
of controls required.

Total Score 50

Food Hygiene Rating

How should I inform customers of my food hygiene rating window sticker in a

food hygiene rating? prominent place.

Ensure that you display your food hygiene Previous rating stickers must be destroyed
window sticker at the entrance of the as only the most recent rating should
business, at the service counter or in a be displayed. If your food hygiene rating
prominent place. drops then make sure you remove any old
food hygiene rating window stickers from
You may want to refer to it on menus and display and update menus that reference
on promotional leaflets. There is nothing to the old score. Leaving them in use can be
stop you approaching the local press and misleading and the continued display of a
asking if they will help you to highlight your previous rating may result in a complaint to
new rating or produce some advertising for Trading Standards which could constitute
your business. The Food Standards Agency an offence under the Consumer Protection
have put together some guidance on how from Unfair Trading Regulations.
to display your hygiene rating online and
on social media here: (Food Hygiene Rating In Wales it is actually an offence under the
Scheme online display guidance | Food Food Hygiene Rating (Wales ) Act 2013
Standards Agency) will be dealt with by the Environmental
Health Dept via a fixed penalty notice (£200
If you are in Wales or Northern Ireland, it reduced to £150 if paid within 14 days) in
is a mandatory requirement to display the the first instance.

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The food hygiene rating will be published on inspection report. Discuss the matters on
the national rating website Search for ratings | the report that you disagree with and listen
Food Standards Agency. If you receive a rating carefully to how they came to justify the
of 5 then this will go live on the website shortly scoring that was awarded. If following this
after the inspection. If you receive a lower score discussion you still do not agree with the
then this will be published 35 days after the food hygiene rating awarded then you have
inspection. This is to allow for the notification the right to formally appeal.
and appeal of the rating. The 35 days is broken
down into 14 days for notification of the rating + You will have 21 days from the date of your
21 days for appeal. inspection report to appeal. Check your
inspection report which should contain
Can I ask for my food hygiene rating to ‘go live’ details of the specific steps that your local
on the website early? authority require you to follow in order
to appeal. There will usually be a specific
There may be circumstances where you don’t online form that you will need to complete
want to wait for the 35 days to expire before the or it may be that you can submit your
rating can go live on the website. For example comments in an email.
if the rating has improved from a 2 to a 4 and
you need to demonstrate the new rating in order Your appeal will be considered by the lead
to trade at a public event or to enrol on a food food officer at the local authority, usually
delivery platform. the Environmental Health Manager; it is not
for the inspecting officer to determine the
You can ask your inspecting officer to make fairness of the inspection. You will then be
arrangements for the early publication of your notified of their decision to amend or uphold
food hygiene rating. This request normally has the food hygiene rating within 21 days
to be made in writing e.g. in an email or via an of you submitting the appeal. During the
online request form. appeal period the food hygiene rating will
not go live on the website and you will not
If I don’t agree with the food hygiene rating have to display the window sticker.
that I receive what can I do?
How can I use the ‘Right to Reply’ to
If you think that the rating is wrong, unfair or explain the rating to customers?
that does not reflect the hygiene standards
at the time of your inspection, then there are If you have completed the requirements
steps that you can take to appeal. There are outlined in your inspection report and have
safeguards in place under the Food Hygiene improved the hygiene standards or if there
Rating Scheme including an appeals procedure, were unusual circumstances at the time
a request for a re-rating inspection or the of your inspection that did not reflect your
opportunity to post a ‘Right to Reply’ comment. normal standards, then you have the option
Your inspecting officer should be able to to explain this to customers.
explain all of this to you but there should also
be sufficient detail either within the inspection You can provide comments explaining the
report or on the council’s website to explain the situation or confirming the improvements
procedures involved. that have been made, that will be uploaded
to your rating page on the website Search
How can I appeal the rating? for ratings | Food Standards Agency.

First, contact the inspecting officer whose The comments will first be checked and
contact details should be outlined on the approved by the Environmental Health

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Manager. They may be edited to remove In order to get a 5 you must have an
offensive or defamatory comments. accurate understanding of the basics of
Your customers will then see these each of the three criteria and ensure that
comments when they check your rating this is well documented.
online.
The key things are:
You can also check your inspection report
or local authority website for details on • Having safe methods in place for
the ‘Right to Reply’ process for your local all stages of your food production
authority. processes e.g. food storage, cooking,
cooling
How can I request a re-rating inspection to
improve my rating? • Being able to evidence your food safety
controls through your checks and
If you have made all of the necessary records
improvements then it is worthwhile
requesting a revisit to get a new rating • Making sure staff are trained on your
(referred to as a re-rating inspection). food safety procedures and clearly
demonstrate them when asked
An Environmental Health Officer will
come back and carry out a full food safety • Having a clean, well maintained and
inspection again. A new food hygiene rating pest free food premises throughout
will be issued to reflect the standards found
at the time of the inspection. • Having clean and hygienic equipment
and being able to demonstrate your
The request must usually be submitted cleaning and maintenance procedures
in writing either by submitting a specific
form or in an email to the Environmental • Consistently maintaining a good track
Health Manager. You can expect to get record of compliance
confirmation of your request and for the
re-rating inspection to be out carried within Consider the criteria outlined in Table 1
3 months. It will likely be an unannounced Food Hygiene Rating Scoring Chart shown
inspection and carried out in the same way on page 4 earlier in this guide and see how
as a usual routine food safety inspection. your practices compare.

Some local authorities charge for this You can also use our NCASS inspection
inspection in order to cover the costs of checklist which will help you make sure
carrying out an additional inspection of your you’ve got everything in place for your next
business. This cost will need to be paid at inspection! Work through the list to be as
the time of making the request and can prepared as you can be.
range from £100 to £250.
For more information on the scheme,
How do I achieve a hygiene rating of you can visit Food hygiene ratings for
5 – Very Good? businesses | Food Standards Agency

We want all members to aim for a hygiene

rating of 5 – Very Good.

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Contact Us

Call us: 0300 124 6866

Email us: [email protected].

@ncass_uk

www.ncass.org.uk

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