The three scoring criteria
Environmental Health Officers assess three areas independently. Each receives a score, and the combined total determines your 0-5 rating. One badly performing area pulls the entire rating down — even if the other two are excellent.
1. Hygienic food handling
How food is prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled, and stored. Inspectors observe whether cross-contamination is being prevented, whether cooking and cooling temperatures are correct, and whether allergens are properly managed. They watch staff at work and check that practices match documented procedures.
2. Cleanliness and condition of the building
The physical state of the premises: cleanliness of surfaces and equipment, kitchen layout, condition of walls, floors, and ceilings, hand wash basins, ventilation, lighting, and pest control. A kitchen might handle food well but lose marks here if the building is poorly maintained.
3. Management of food safety
Whether the business has a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles and whether it is actually being used. Inspectors want to see completed daily records, temperature logs, staff training records, and cleaning schedules. This is consistently where businesses lose the most marks.
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How scores map to ratings
Each category is scored from 0 (best) to 25 or 30 (worst). The three scores are totalled, and the total maps to your rating. But there is an important override: if any single category scores too high, your rating drops regardless of the total.
| Rating | Description | Total score | Max per category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Very good | 0 – 15 | 5 |
| 4 | Good | 20 | 10 |
| 3 | Generally satisfactory | 25 – 30 | 10 |
| 2 | Improvement necessary | 35 – 40 | 15 |
| 1 | Major improvement | 45 – 50 | 20 |
| 0 | Urgent improvement | 50+ | — |
One bad area ruins everything. A restaurant with perfect food handling and a spotless kitchen can still get a 3 or lower if they have no documented HACCP records. The "max per category" column is the key — it caps your rating even if the other areas are excellent.
How inspections work
Unannounced visits
Inspections are always unannounced. The Environmental Health Officer arrives during normal business hours and has a legal right of entry. You cannot refuse an inspection. A typical visit takes one to three hours depending on the size and complexity of the business.
What happens during an inspection
The inspector walks through the premises, observes food handling, checks fridge and freezer temperatures, reviews your food safety management records, training certificates, cleaning schedules, and pest control reports. They may ask staff questions about procedures to verify that training has been effective.
After the inspection
The EHO discusses findings before leaving and explains any issues. You later receive a written report with scores for each area and required or recommended actions. Your rating is published on the FSA website, usually within 28 days.
How often
Frequency is risk-based. High-risk businesses (previous low ratings, complex operations) are inspected every 6 months. Medium-risk every 12–18 months. Low-risk with consistently high ratings may only be visited every 2–3 years. Newly registered businesses are usually inspected within 28 days.
Scotland is different. Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS), which gives a simple Pass or Improvement Required result rather than a 0-5 rating. The inspection process is similar, but the outcome is binary.
Display requirements by country
Whether you must display your rating depends on where your business is located.
Wales
Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013. Must display at entrance, visible to customers. Fixed penalty for non-compliance.
Northern Ireland
Food Hygiene Rating Act (NI) 2016. Must display in a conspicuous place readily visible to customers.
England
No legislation yet. FSA and CIEH campaign for mandatory display. 69% of businesses choose to display voluntarily.
Displaying your rating online is not legally required anywhere, but customers routinely check before ordering. You can use our free hygiene rating widget to add an auto-updating badge to your website.
What happens with low ratings
Rating 0 — urgent improvement
The EHO will typically serve a Hygiene Improvement Notice — a formal legal document requiring corrective action within a specified deadline (minimum 14 days). If there is an imminent risk to public health, they can issue a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice, which closes the business immediately. The authority must then apply to Magistrates' Court within 3 days for a Prohibition Order.
Fines are unlimited. Failure to comply with a Hygiene Improvement Notice is a criminal offence. There is no cap on fines since 2016. Tesco was fined £7.56 million in 2021 for food safety breaches. Individual directors can face personal prosecution.
Rating 1 — major improvement
Written advice on required improvements with deadlines. Enforcement action may follow if improvements are not made. Follow-up visits are scheduled.
Rating 2 — improvement necessary
Written guidance provided. Less severe enforcement but improvements are expected before the next scheduled inspection.
A 0 rating does not automatically mean closure — that only happens when there is an imminent risk to health. But businesses rated 2 or below are twice as likely to be linked to food poisoning outbreaks.
Appeals and re-inspections
Appealing your rating
You can formally appeal within 21 days of receiving your rating notification. The appeal is reviewed by a different officer than the one who inspected you. You will receive a decision within 21 days. If still dissatisfied, you can use the local authority's complaints procedure.
Requesting a re-inspection
If you have made improvements and want a new rating, you can request a re-rating inspection in writing. In Wales and Northern Ireland, re-inspections happen within 3 months and carry a fee. In England, timelines vary by local authority — some charge, some do not. The inspector will assess standards generally, not just the areas you improved.
Right to reply
You can submit a written response that is published alongside your rating on the FSA website. This does not change the rating — it simply adds context for consumers. There is no deadline; you can submit a response at any time until the next inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Do ratings expire?
Ratings do not expire. They are replaced by a new rating after each subsequent inspection. The FSA website shows the inspection date alongside each rating so consumers can judge how recent it is.
Can I check a business's full inspection history?
The FSA website shows the current rating and inspection date. Detailed reports are held by the local authority and can be obtained through a Freedom of Information request. Our free rating checker shows score breakdowns for each category.
How can I improve my rating?
Focus on the three scoring areas. The most impactful quick wins are usually in management — completing daily records, logging temperatures, and maintaining training files. For a detailed guide, see how to improve your food hygiene rating.