McDonald's food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Harlow
McDonald's holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 30 January 2026, 5 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: 7 The Oaks Retail Park, Howard Way, Harlow, CM20 2AB
How it compares in Harlow
In Harlow, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so McDonald's sits behind roughly 497 nearby businesses. 13% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 497 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 78 | 13% | ← McDonald's | |
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 76 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At McDonald's none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to McDonald's, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card Factory Retailers - other | 252 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2025 |
| Cineworld Cinemas Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 293 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2026 |
| Costa Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 293 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 August 2021 |
| Currys Retailers - other | 293 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 August 2024 |
| Burgermaster - Mobile Mobile caterer | 296 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2024 |
| B&M Store Retailers - other | 327 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2026 |
| Carlucie Catering Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2024 |
| Burnt Mill Academy School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2025 |
Questions about McDonald's
What is McDonald's's food hygiene rating?
McDonald's has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Harlow Council on 30 January 2026.
Is McDonald's safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was McDonald's last inspected?
McDonald's was last inspected on 30 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harlow Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at McDonald's?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does McDonald's compare to other places in Harlow?
81% of the 611 rated food businesses in Harlow hold the top rating of 5, while McDonald's holds a 4. 78 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Harlow Council inspects McDonald's and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch McDonald's and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harlow inspects and rates 687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harlow →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.harlow.gov.uk/
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →