The aim of this scheme is to give consumers information about the food safety and hygiene standards in food businesses. This is achieved by rating businesses following a routine inspection. There are currently a number of different schemes running nationally. Most schemes follow the same principles and differ only in their presentation of the scores, such as the number of categories. However, the Food Standards Agency is due to produce national guidance to standardise the rating schemes across the country sometime in Autumn 2008.
Would you like to have your say? Email foodandsafety@wealden.gov.uk
The details that follow describe the London Scores On Doors pilot, which will be used as a basis for any Sussex-wide scheme. Please bear in mind that the Sussex scheme may not follow the London pilot in every detail.
Click on the questions below for more information:
What Would Your Business Score?If you would like to know how many stars your business would achieve based on the London pilot please email foodandsafety@wealden.gov.uk.Please type Scores On Doors in the subject line and remember to give us the full name and address of your business, including the postcode. |
The star rating lets you see at a glance the hygiene standards in the business at the time of inspection, e.g.
A score of 0-5 is excellent: Very high standards of food safety management. Fully compliant with food safety legislation.
A score of 10-15 is very good: Good food safety management. High standard of compliance with food safety legislation.
A score of 20-25 is good: Good level of legal compliance. Some more effort might be required.
A score of 30 is broadly compliant: Broadly compliant with food safety legislation. More effort required to meet all legal requirements.
A score of 35-45 is poor: Poor level of compliance with food safety legislation – much more effort required.
A score of 50 or over is very poor: A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety. Major effort required.
Following a food safety inspection the officer will score the business based on a national scoring system produced by the Food Standards Agency. The officers are trained in scoring under this scheme. Scores are given for hygiene, structure and confidence in management. Scores for these three areas are added up to give a total score. This total score is used to calculate a simple star rating for the business. The star rating will be issued on a sticker and certificate and sent to the business to display on the front door or window.
No. The scoring of the inspection findings is set out in a nationally agreed code of practice which applies to all food businesses. The star rating scheme is a London wide project that is supported by the Food Standards Agency as one of the pilot projects around the country.
Yes, but only when a food hygiene inspection is undertaken. A food hygiene inspection will only take place when it is due as part of an agreed programme. An inspection may take place if the business ownership changes or if serious breaches of food legislation are found during a routine visit or through investigating a complaint. If the business feels that standards have improved since the inspection they will have 14 days to submit comments or mitigation for the standards found, which will then appear on the website. If improved standards are maintained the rating is likely to be changed at the next food safety inspection.
As soon as a new food safety inspection has been carried out. The inspection due date depends on when the business was last inspected and the hygiene conditions found at the time. The worst performing businesses are inspected more often than the better performing businesses. An inspection can take place anytime between 6 months and three years depending on its safety risk.
The rating is based on a professional officer's inspection and will not be changed. However, if a business believes that it has not been treated fairly the council's formal complaints procedure can be used and the matter fully investigated. If the business feels that standards have improved since the inspection they have 14 days to submit comments or mitigation for the standards found, which will then appear on the website. If improved standards are maintained the rating is likely to be changed at the next food safety inspection.
All businesses that form part of the council's inspection programme. This will include places like restaurants, takeaways. supermarkets and pubs serving food. However businesses run from a home address will not appear on the website.
The officer undertaking the food safety inspection.
There were already some London boroughs with their own schemes. London boroughs decided to work together to introduce one scheme across the whole of London to make it easier for both the public and businesses. Consumers and tourists have become more interested in where they eat. We believe that the scheme will help make information on food safety in businesses much clearer to understand and the information easier to find through using a London based website and certificate display scheme. We also believe that the scheme will help improve standards of food safety in the Capital and contribute towards reducing food related illnesses.
Some authorities split inspections of larger premises, particularly where the different units of a premises, such as a supermarket delicatessen counter or in-store bakery pose different levels of risk to say, the main retail part of the store. This can result in different parts of a store being inspected at different frequencies and so could also mean that the different parts receive different star ratings.