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A rating is a number. What it actually tells you, and what it doesn't, takes a little more
explaining. These guides answer the questions that a single venue's page can't.
Everything here is drawn from the published rules of the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards
Scotland. Where the law differs between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and on
the questions people ask most, it usually does, each nation is set out separately.
What does a 0 food hygiene rating mean?
A 0 means the inspector found serious problems and urgent improvement is necessary. It is the lowest rating the scheme gives, but it is not a closure order, and a business with a 0 can, and usually does, keep trading while it puts things right.
Does a low hygiene rating mean the food is unsafe?
A low rating tells you that an inspector found problems on a particular day. It is not a measurement of the food, it is not a prediction, and it is not a verdict on whether you will get ill. It is the best single signal a member of the public has, and it is a snapshot.
Does a business have to display its hygiene rating?
It depends where you are. In Wales and Northern Ireland a food business must display its rating where you can read it before you go in. In England it is voluntary, a business there can legally show you nothing.
How often are food businesses inspected?
Higher-risk businesses are inspected more often, roughly every six months at the top of the scale, stretching to two years or more for low-risk premises. Inspections are unannounced, and a business that disagrees with its rating has 21 days to appeal.
General information, not legal advice. Data and rules from the Food Standards
Agency and Food Standards Scotland under the Open Government Licence.