Working Out Rate
How the Rating is Worked Out
Food Hygiene Ratings are assessed via routine food premises inspection visits (statutory inspections) which follow the “Food Law Code of Practice”.
At the inspection, the Environmental Health Officer will allocate scores for:
The level of compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures;
The level of compliance with structural requirements and,
Confidence in management.
These three scores will then enable the officer to rate the hygiene standards on a scale of 0-5. At the end of the inspection, the business is given a rating on a scale from 0-5:
5 – very good;
4 – good;
3 – generally satisfactory;
2 – improvement necessary;
1 – major improvement necessary;
0 – urgent improvement necessary.
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST SCORE
In order to achieve the best score possible, you will need to ensure your business meets the high standards in the following 3 areas:
-How hygienically the food is handled – how the food is prepared, cooked, reheated and stored;
-The condition of the structure of the building i.e. cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities;
-How the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe [a documented food safety management system based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) such as a Safe Catering / Safer Food Better Business pack or equivalent]. Also, the previous history of compliance and staff training are examined.
Most businesses require a fully documented food safety management system and need to show that it is being operated effectively. If you do not have a fully documented system, then you may only reach a score of 1 out of a possible 5.
Contact Info:
Telephone 028 71253 253