RATINGS
Five means very good
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland businesses are rated from 5 down to 0. A 5 means hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law.
Read a ratingWHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Read the sticker,
ask the question.
Every café and takeaway gets inspected.
Read a rating
0 TO 5a hygiene snapshot
Local food safety officers check how food is handled, how clean the kitchen is and how safety is managed. The result is a rating you can look up, and allergy information you are entitled to ask for.
At a glance
- Check the rating
- Look at the date
- Ask about allergens
- Better choices when you eat out
14
Allergens food businesses must declare
UK food law names 14 regulated allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish and cereals containing gluten. Businesses must tell you if they use them as ingredients.
ALLERGENS · FSA
54,000+
Food outlets covered by Scotland's scheme
Food Standards Scotland says its Food Hygiene Information Scheme covers more than 54,000 outlets across all 32 local authorities, rated Pass or Improvement Required.
SCOTLAND · FSS
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
What the law
makes them tell you.
One figure on allergens,
one on how far Scotland's scheme reaches.
Local authorities upload new ratings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at least every 28 days, so a sticker and the website can briefly differ.
A QUICK RATING CHECK
What does the
number mean?
Pick a food hygiene rating to see what the Food Standards Agency says it means. The bar shows how much improvement the inspector found was needed.
Based on the Food Standards Agency's Food Hygiene Rating Scheme guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
THE SHORT ANSWER
A rating is about
hygiene, not taste.
The scheme answers one question:
how safely was food handled on inspection day?
General information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
INSPECTION
Three things checked
Officers look at how food is handled, the condition of the premises, and how the business manages food safety. A top rating needs all three.
What it covers
ALLERGENS
You can always ask
Restaurants and cafés must provide allergen information, on the menu or by telling you how to get it, such as asking a member of staff.
How to ask
FOUR HABITS WHEN EATING OUT
Thirty seconds,
better choices.
These come from Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland guidance. None of them needs an app, though the ratings are all online too.
Look for the sticker
It is usually in the window or door. In England display is voluntary; in Wales and Northern Ireland it is the law.
Check the date
The back of the sticker and the online rating show when the inspection took place.
Ask if you cannot see it
You can ask staff for the last rating. In Wales and Northern Ireland they must tell you.
Raise any allergy
Ask staff about the allergens in a dish. If you react to something outside the 14, ask about it specifically.
WHAT A RATING LEAVES OUT
Clean kitchen,
not best food.
The FSA says the scheme covers handling, storage, preparation, cleanliness of facilities and how food safety is managed. It says nothing about the quality of the food, customer service, culinary skill, presentation or comfort.
A rating is a snapshot of what the officer found on the day. The business is responsible for meeting food hygiene law all the time, and concerns about a business can be reported to the local council's food safety team.
Questions
Questions people ask
Do businesses have to display their hygiene rating?
In Wales and Northern Ireland, yes, by law. In England display is voluntary, though businesses are encouraged to show it. You can look up any rating online.
Why is a new restaurant not rated?
New businesses or new owners may not have been inspected yet. In Scotland these show an Awaiting Inspection certificate or online rating.
How does Scotland's scheme differ?
Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme: Pass means the business meets legal hygiene requirements, Improvement Required means it did not and must make improvements.
Does a vegan dish mean it is free from milk or egg?
No. The FSA says people allergic to milk, eggs, crustaceans, fish or molluscs should never assume vegan food is safe, because of possible cross-contamination.
Which places get a hygiene rating?
Restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways, food vans and stalls, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops, among others. Low-risk places such as newsagents selling pre-wrapped goods are exempt.
Sources
Where the facts come from
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