Frequently asked questions

Why can’t I make an appointment to have my business assessed?

To be fair to consumers, businesses need to be assessed as they are. This is why inspections are nearly always unannounced, why officers talk to both staff and managers, and why management systems are audited to ensure they are followed.

Following an inspection, officers will always give feedback and encouragement to help businesses improve. There are also safeguards available should a business feel aggrieved in any way.

And, as inspections are unannounced, businesses need to maintain high standards at all times to ensure a fair assessment and to protect their customers from illness or harm.

How do I get a top rating of 5?

Businesses not only need to comply with all legal requirements, but follow what is considered to be ‘best practice’. There are industry guides available which deal with a specific sector, such as bottled water or bakeries, for instance. Other guidance may deal with training or hygiene.

You can find more information on the Food Standards Agency website.

You can also download the FSA's Guide to Getting a 5 Rating.

We have also produced our own Good Hygiene Guidance document, which can be used as a check-list to make sure you are doing everything you can to improve your score.

Can I still get a 5 if my business is in an old building?

Structure is only one of the items assessed when producing a rating for the scheme. While a modern, purpose built kitchen or food area should always score well, older buildings can still achieve good ratings if they are:

Maintained in good condition and repair, and decorated to a high standard. This could include walls clad in plastic, stainless steel sheeting behind cooking areas, tiled splash backs
Designed to be easy to clean and keep clean, such as coving floor coverings to the walls
Kept clean and regularly disinfected
Improved by cladding old wooden beams so they can be cleaned easily and do not shed dust or debris over food
Pest proof. This can include fitting fly screens to doors and windows, ensuring there are no gaps below doors or around waste pipes, and by installing ultra-violet fly killers in food rooms but keeping them away from preparation areas

How do I compare to other businesses?

If you are interested in finding out how your score compares to other food businesses in the district, please visit our NFHRS page for customers, where you will find how many businesses have been awarded each score.

Why do officers spend so much time checking written management systems?

Written management systems are a legal requirement and underpin everything a food business operator does to produce safe food.

Good written management systems should contain three elements:

management commitment – this is a commitment to producing food in a safe and hygienic way. This commitment is translated into the policies, procedure and systems that will deliver this goal. They cover everything from staff training to how long records should be kept.
prerequisites – this is an industry term for the more general standards and measures needed to deliver safe food. They include the structure of the premises, equipment, pest control, training, cleaning and maintenance. The management system should identify and set standards for all of these prerequisites. This will ensure a food business operates from a solid base
systems for identifying and controlling hazards – these are the product or process specific factors that need to be assessed and addressed, including assessment of suppliers, purchasing and delivery of ingredients, storage of food (dried, chilled or frozen), preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating and service. The management system should identify all potential hazards, assess the level of risk, identify anything that is critical to food safety, and produce procedures that will eliminate or control the risks. These procedures should include monitoring of critical points, action to be taken if things go wrong, record keeping and audit or management checks to ensure everything is working to plan.

Although this may sound complicated, most of it is common sense put down in writing with a bit of extra detail needed in some areas. There are generic systems like Safer Food Better Business that can help you with this.

Inspectors must be satisfied a business is taking all reasonable and appropriate precautions and measures to ensure food is safe. As managers and staff are integral to this, inspectors will ask them questions to ensure they fully appreciate and understand the processes and systems in operation.

The systems will also be checked to ensure they are up to date and working properly. Records will also be checked. Inspectors will expect to see evidence that procedures are reviewed regularly, that staff are properly trained in the systems, and that what happens in reality matches the management systems.

Failures with management systems are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing the final rating given to a business.