Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
This page is about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme for the public
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council now participate in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme to promote high performing food businesses and enable consumers to make informed choices about where they buy and eat food. The scheme is run by local authorities in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.
Get the app
Details about the app to access food hygiene ratings on the move, for free, are on Search for food hygiene ratings (FSA website).
What is the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme?
The National Food Hygiene Rating scheme will help you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, and other places where food is eaten. Supermarkets and other food shops are also included in the scheme.
Each food business is given a ‘hygiene rating’ when it is inspected by an Environmental Health Officer. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.
From December when you eat out or shop for food, you might see a sticker in the window or on the door, or a certificate on display showing you the hygiene rating for that business. It is not mandatory for them to display the rating. Good food premises will be proud to display their rating, whilst poor premises will be unable to hide because their details will be available on Search for hygiene ratings (Food Standards Agency website).
The ratings
Food businesses are regularly inspected to make sure that all food is handled and prepared safely. After each inspection, the food business is awarded an overall number rating, from zero (the worst) to 5 (the best), based on food safety standards found at the time of the inspection. This takes into consideration compliance with three areas of food law:
- Food Hygiene - how hygienically the food is handled, prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.
- Structure and cleanliness - the condition of the structure of the buildings, its cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities.
- Confidence in management - how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.
At the end of the inspection, the business is issued a certificate and sticker indicating one of the following hygiene ratings:
0 - Urgent improvement necessary
1 - Major improvement necessary
2 - Improvement necessary
3 - Generally satisfactory
4 - Good
5 - Very Good
The rating does not reflect the quality of food or the standards of service provided to customers.
See also
Details about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme for businesses
Related website
Further details about the scheme can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.
Contact
Email: food.safety@reigate-banstead.gov.ukTelephone: 01737 276417.
Write to:
Food Safety Team
Environmental Health Services
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
Town Hall
Castlefield Road
Reigate
RH2 0SH
Last updated : 14/01/2013
