Food Hygiene Rating - How it works

Introduction

Pendle Borough Council is participating in the National Scheme in partnership with the Food Standards Agency. The scheme provides consumers with information about hygiene standards in food businesses which supply food directly to consumers for consumption either on or off the premises. The purpose of the scheme is to help consumers make informed choices about the places where they eat out and from which they purchase food.  This will also encourage food businesses to improve hygiene standards.

Food businesses covered by the scope of the scheme will be inspected by the Council's Food Safety Officers, and a food hygiene rating will be allocated.  Pendle Borough Council will notify the food business of the rating within 14 days of the inspection.  If no appeal is entered within a 14 day period following notification, the rating allocated will be submitted for publication on the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme website.

Ratings

Following an inspection of a food business, the inspecting officer will assign a numerical score to the following three areas:

• Level of compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures (e.g. food handling practices, temperature control)
• Level of compliance with structural requirements (e.g. cleanliness, condition of structure)
• Confidence in management

These scores are obtained from Annex 5 of the Food Law Code of Practice to ensure consistency between officers and different Councils. The numerical score is the 'mapped' to one of the six food hygiene ratings as shown below:

Should you require further information on the National food Hygiene Rating Scheme, please either contact the Council's Food Safety Service or visit the Food Standards Agency website at http://www.food.gov.uk

Viewing the Ratings of Food Businesses

Ratings allocated will be submitted for publication on the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme website.

• Search for food hygiene ratings