Insider tips from an EHO on acing your next food hygiene rating inspection.
What is a Food Hygiene Rating?
“The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them clear information about a business’s hygiene standards. ”
Food hygiene ratings are given by local authority food safety inspectors who are responsible for enforcing food safety laws. They can be Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), Practitioners (EHPs) or food competent Technical Officers. Visits are usually unannounced (unless at a private home address) and the frequency of inspections is determined by the risk to public health.
The Food Law Code of Practice sets out the FHRS scheme. It includes the potential hazards, the type of food and method of handling, processing, and consumers at risk; level of current compliance and confidence in management.
Additional scoring is given for significant risk (high risk processes) and the overall score determines the frequency of inspection. This is usually 6 months for high risk businesses to 2 years for low risk.
Who needs a Food Hygiene Rating?
Any food business that makes and serves food direct to consumers including restaurants, cafes, mobile food businesses, delis, home caterers, retailers including supermarkets, schools and care homes.
A cafe with a food hygiene rating
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS)
The FHRS score is based on the food safety standards found by the food safety inspector at the time of their visit. It determines the overall score level with a ‘5’ food hygiene rating being ‘Very good’ and a ‘0’ food hygiene rating being ‘Poor’.
Food safety inspectors may take enforcement action against businesses with low food hygiene ratings. They can close the business or serve improvement notices.
Following a low score a re rating visit can be applied for by the Food Business Operator. There is usually a charge for this and will not take place until improvements have been made.
How is the FHRS score made up?
The FHRS score is split into 3 specific areas that are scored separately from ‘0’ to ‘30’ points. The cumulative score and the individual rating score given in each area will determine the final score.
· Food Hygiene and Safety Procedures - hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage
· Structural Requirements - cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene and prevent cross contamination.
· Confidence in Management- system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, a FSMS based on HACCP principles and that the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in the future.
To find out more about the FHRS scheme click on this link Understanding Ratings
Food Hygiene Rating Sticker - Level 5 ‘Very Good’
How to appeal a food hygiene rating?
The food hygiene rating must be given by the food safety inspector at the time of the visit or within 14 days. If the food business owner feels that the food hygiene rating is wrong or unfair then they can appeal in writing. See the food standards agency guidance on the appeal process.
7 Top tips for food hygiene and safety:
You will need to show evidence that you are meeting any legal requirements in the preparation, cooking, storage and service of your food:
1. Provide a food safe sanitiser on each work station and ensure that it complies with British Standard EN1276. Make sure staff know how to dilute chemicals and their contact time.
2. Regularly check that there is hot water, soap and hand drying material at the dedicated wash hand basins. Make sure staff are using them to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Use signage as a reminder.
3. Provide staff with clean laundered uniforms including aprons and hats to protect the food they are preparing and serving.
4. Check all food in storage is within date - both ‘use by’ dates on ready to eat, chilled and prepared foods (legal) and ‘best before’ dates on ambient/frozen food (good practice). Check all food is covered and dated as per your labelling system (production +2 days is the good practice standard.)
5. Ensure food is being prepared safely to avoid cross contamination. Any high risk activities such as cutting up raw meat should be done in a dedicated place and/or at a separate time by trained staff.
6. Train staff to wash vegetables and salad in a separate food preparation sink. If you don't have one then disinfectant the sink first and use a colander/sieve.
7. Check that staff are monitoring the critical control points for chilled storage, cooking and reheating, hot holding, chilled display etc. and writing them down. Also that they are taking corrective action if something is wrong.
7 Top tips for structure and cleaning:
This includes ventilation, lighting, layout and condition of structure and equipment as well as cleaning standards and pest activity.
It is important to ensure that food is made in a clean kitchen that is in a good state of repair to help cleaning standards to be maintained.
Poor layout can lead to cross contamination issues and a lack of appropriate hand and equipment washing facilities can lead to a dirty and unsafe environment.
1. Put in place a cleaning schedule that covers all areas and equipment in the kitchen and back of house storage areas. Decide on the frequency of cleaning and ensure staff members sign off checks and managers review them.
2. Provide cleaning chemicals suitable for use in a commercial environment including disinfectant, degreaser etc.
3. Use a commercial dishwasher to clean utensils and equipment to help destroy bacteria and remove allergens.
4. Carry out routine maintenance and replace or repair broken tiles; ripped or damaged flooring and coving; flaking paint; sealant on sinks etc.
5. Pest proof the premises by fitting bristle strips to doors, replacing missing ceiling tiles and blocking up any holes with expanding foam, chicken wire etc. to stop mice/rats from getting into the kitchen/storage areas.
6. Check for pests daily and have a pest control contractor on speed dial in the event you have a problem with mice, rats, cockroaches etc. Consider voluntarily closing your premises immediately until the problem is resolved.
7. Plan in periodic preventative maintenance/replacement of equipment and refurbishment of the structure.
