Get the top food hygiene rating (2024)

All businesses should be able to achieve a 5 rating.

This can happen by demonstrating excellent compliance with legal requirements for good hygiene when one of our food safety officers visits your food business premises.

The 4Cs of food hygiene

There are 4 main things to remember for good food hygiene:

  • cleaning
  • cooking
  • cross contamination
  • chilling

These are also known as the '4Cs of food hygiene'.

You can use the 4Cs to prevent the most common food safety problems.

Seeguidance on what each of the 4Cs means for your food business on the Food Standards Agency website.

Keep a documented safety management system

Make sure you have fully completed and updated your documented system. Only businesses with completed and up to date systems get a top rating.

Make sure you complete a diary every day to show you are carrying out opening and closing checks and recording any problems.If there are any gaps this may count against you.

You can usesafer food, better business (SFBB)as your documented food safety management system.SFBB gives you the most up to date information on how to make sure the food you serve in your business is safe.

Food industry guides

The Food Standards Agency has put together a list of food industry guides to help you achieve the top rating.

Get tailored support

Contact us and one of our food safety officers will provide advice based on your specific needs as a business.

Get the top food hygiene rating (2024)

FAQs

How hard is it to get a 5 star food hygiene rating? ›

It's not just your kitchen and dining area that need to be clean and tidy in order to achieve a 5-star rating. You'll also need to become fastidious in your record-keeping. Be sure to keep comprehensive records to demonstrate your commitment to cleanliness, including: Toilet cleaning and inspection records.

What is the top food hygiene rating? ›

All businesses should be able to achieve the top rating of 5. To get the top rating, you must do well in all three elements described in the Food hygiene inspections section. If you don't get the top rating, the local authority food safety officer will explain what you can do to improve your hygiene rating.

Is food hygiene rating 3 bad? ›

A Hygiene Rating of 3, although this is deemed as “generally satisfactory” by the Food Standards Agency customer confidence will be low. To improve this and retain you customer base as well as pulling in new customers, improvement should be made immediately checking off of the recommendations and issues on the list.

What is the highest rating that an EHO will give after a food hygiene inspection in England Wales and Northern Ireland? ›

The rating scale

5 is top of the scale, this means the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law. 0 is at the bottom of the scale, this means urgent improvement is necessary.

Is 1 food hygiene rating bad? ›

It means major improvement is needed. This improvement will normally involve changing the way kitchen staff manage food and carry out food preparation. A score of 45-50 points will warrant a rating of 1. The more points a business gets, the worse their food hygiene rating is.

What are high risk foods? ›

High-risk foods are those generally intended to be consumed without any further cooking, which would destroy harmful food poisoning bacteria. High-risk foods include cooked meat and poultry, cooked meat products, egg products and dairy foods. These foods should always be kept separate from raw food.

What is the highest rating for food? ›

Three MICHELIN Stars is our highest award, given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

What is the food rating scale? ›

The HEI uses a scoring system to evaluate a set of foods. The scores range from 0 to 100. An ideal overall HEI score of 100 reflects that the set of foods aligns with key dietary recommendations and dietary patterns published in the Dietary Guidelines.

What is the highest hygiene standard? ›

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Follow these five steps every time you wash your hands. Wet your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.

What does FSMs mean? ›

What is a Food Safety Management System? A FSMS is a systematic approach to controlling food safety hazards within a food business in order to ensure that food is safe to eat.

What is hygiene 3? ›

Hygiene is defined as a set of practices that are necessary to prevent the spread of disease and preserve health. People typically achieve this by maintaining the cleanliness of their body and the environment they live in. Hygiene is essential for staying healthy, as it reduces the chances of getting sick.

How should you remove bacteria from ready to eat salad vegetables? ›

If you have prepared vegetables that have dirt or soil on the outside, clean and then disinfect chopping boards and work surfaces before preparing other food. The dirt on vegetables and salad ingredients can contain harmful bacteria. Peeling and washing helps to remove the dirt and bacteria.

What is the minimum food hygiene rating for just eat? ›

As long as you meet the minimum requirements of a 3* or Pass or are listed as 'Awaiting Inspection' on the FSA website, you can continue to trade with Just Eat. If your rating has recently changed meaning you can now trade, please contact us through the Partner Hub.

What does eho stand for? ›

EHO stands for Environmental Health Officer; a government-appointed employee who's responsible for inspecting food and drink businesses. Environmental health officers help to protect both public health and the environment.

What does safe stand for in food hygiene? ›

Food-safe and food safety mean handling, preparing, and storing food in a way that optimally reduces the risk of consumers and those that prepare the food becoming sick from foodborne illnesses (listeriosis, E. coli, salmonella, etc.). In other words, food-safe means sanitary, hygienic, and clean.

How to get 5 star food? ›

How to Get a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating: The Steps and Procedures You Should Follow
  1. Train Your Staff. ...
  2. Keep Your Workplace Clean. ...
  3. Maintain Hygienic Food Preparation. ...
  4. Follow HACCP in the Kitchen. ...
  5. Keep a Strict and Safe Food Storage System. ...
  6. How Often are Food Hygiene Ratings Done?
Jan 3, 2024

What are low risk foods? ›

Low risk foods are foods that do not provide ideal conditions for bacteria to grow. They are typically foods that are high in acid or sugar, as well as salted foods, dry foods or canned and vacuum-packed foods. Some examples of low risk foods include: Dry goods - Crackers, biscuits, flour, plain breads and rolls.

What should you clean before preparing food? ›

Wash worktops, utensils and chopping boards with warm, soapy water before and after food preparation to prevent bacteria from spreading. This is especially important if you've been preparing raw meat, raw eggs or unwashed vegetables.

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