Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

This page tells you about the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme promoted by the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) and how it is implemented in Oadby and Wigston. It also tells business operators about their rights to reply, to request a revisit or to appeal against the rating they have been given.

What is the national food hygiene rating scheme?

It is a scheme to provide customers with simple information about hygiene standards in most of our food businesses.

Following an inspection by an environmental health officer, each business is given an easy to understand rating which reflects the hygiene standards in that business.

This will help customers to decide where to buy and eat food, based on the hygiene standards in that business.

How is the rating scheme worked out?

When a food business is inspected, it will be given a rating to show the standards of hygiene found at that time. The rating is not a guide to food quality.

The inspector considers the following:

• The safety of the preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storing of food.
• The cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting and ventilation of the premises.
• How well the business is managed and how well records are kept. This is based on food safety management systems such as safer food better business.

What do the ratings mean?

A business will be given a rating between 0 and 5. These numbers mean:

5 - conditions very good
4 - conditions are good
3 - conditions are satisfactory
2 - improvement is necessary
1 - major improvement is necessary
0 - urgent improvement is necessary

You can find out about your favourite restaurant, food shop or takeaway by looking up its hygiene rating. When you reach this page, follow the simple instructions.

Scores are given at the time of the inspection and changes may have occurred at the business since the scores were given.

What does a 5 rated business look like?

At a 5 rated business, environmental health officers have found:

• No more than minor follow up actions for food business operators.
• Evidence of good compliance with industry codes of practice.
• Staff have had food hygiene within the last three years.
• No cross contamination risks identified.
• Premises and equipment clean and in good condition.
• Effective pest control.
• Documented food safety management system in place and being used to control food safety hazards.
• Evidence of good compliance with legal requirements.
• No follow up action necessary by council after routine inspections.

Business operators

If your business has a high rating, we hope you display your certificate in a prominent place.

If your business has a medium or low rating, we will encourage you to improve.

As a food operator, you have a right to appeal against the rating you are given, a right to request a re-visit and a right to reply.