Q.01

What does an EHO check during a food hygiene inspection?

An EHO (the local authority food safety officer) looks at three things on a hygiene inspection: how hygienically food is handled (prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled and stored), the physical condition of the premises (cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities), and how the business manages food safety (its processes, training and systems for keeping hygiene up). The FSA's FHRS guidance for businesses gives these as the basis for the 0 to 5 rating. The legal standard the officer checks against is the hygiene regulation, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.

Approach: I read the FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme register, the consolidated EU text of Regulation 852/2004 (version dated 24 March 2021), and the FSA's business guidance on GOV.UK. I did not check the GB version of 852/2004 or the Food Law Code of Practice, so any differences between the GB and EU texts, such as whether the food safety culture chapter applies in GB, are not confirmed here.

How the three areas show up in the rating

The FSA register records a separate score for each area next to the overall rating: hygiene, structural and confidence_in_management. For example, a Bradford takeaway inspected on 9 March 2026 scored 15 / 15 / 10 and got a rating of 2 [1]. A Sefton retailer scored 5 / 10 / 5 and got a 4 [2].

What the officer checks in practice (Regulation 852/2004)

Food handling and storage (Annex II, Chapter IX)

  • Not accepting raw materials known or reasonably expected to be contaminated.
  • Storing food so it doesn't deteriorate or get contaminated.
  • Temperature control: the cold chain must not be broken; chilled food must be cooled as quickly as possible after cooking; thawing must be safe.
  • Keeping raw materials and processed food apart, with enough separate refrigerated storage.
  • Pest control procedures, and keeping domestic animals out.
  • Allergen controls: equipment used for allergens must be cleaned and checked for visible debris before it is used for other foods.
  • Hazardous substances labelled and stored separately and securely.

[3]

Premises and equipment (Annex II, Chapters I, II, V to VII)

  • Premises clean and in good repair.
  • Layout that allows cleaning and protects against contamination and pests.
  • Enough hand-wash basins with hot and cold water and hygienic drying, kept separate from food-washing sinks where needed.
  • Ventilation, lighting and drainage.
  • Toilets that don't open directly into food rooms.
  • Cleaning chemicals kept out of food areas.
  • Floors, walls, ceilings, windows (with insect screens where needed), doors and food-contact surfaces that are sound and easy to clean.
  • Food-contact equipment that is cleaned and disinfected.
  • Waste removed and kept in closable containers.
  • A potable water supply.
  • Chapter III sets a modified version of these standards for market stalls, mobile vehicles, home-based businesses and vending machines.

[3]

Staff hygiene (Annex II, Chapter VIII)

  • Clean, suitable protective clothing.
  • People who are ill (for example with diarrhoea or infected wounds) kept away from food, and required to report their symptoms [3].

Confidence in management

  • HACCP-based food safety procedures (Article 5). The officer checks for a permanent HACCP-based procedure covering:

    • hazards and critical control points;
    • critical limits;
    • monitoring;
    • corrective actions;
    • verification;
    • records kept in proportion to the size of the business.

    The procedure must be reviewed whenever products or processes change. The business must be able to show the authority evidence that it complies, and keep its documents up to date [4].

  • Training (Chapter XII). Food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in line with their work. Staff responsible for HACCP must be trained in its principles [3].

  • Food safety culture (Chapter XIa). The EU text adds this chapter, which covers management commitment, communication, resources, and checking that controls and documentation are current [3]. I haven't confirmed whether it applies in GB.

After the inspection

These points come from the FSA guidance:

  • Inspection frequency: depends on risk, from every six months for the highest-risk businesses to every two years or longer for lower-risk ones.
  • Notification: the business is told the result in writing within 14 days.
  • Publication: a 5 is published straight away; ratings of 0 to 4 are published 3 to 5 weeks after the inspection, to leave time for an appeal.
  • Appeals: must be made in writing within 21 days.
  • Right to reply: the business can submit comments at any time before the next inspection, and these are published with the rating.
  • Re-rating: a business can ask for a re-rating inspection after making improvements.
  • Displaying the rating: required by law in Wales and Northern Ireland; encouraged but not required in England.
Q.02

How do I get a 5 rating?

To get a 5, you need a low score in all three areas the officer marks: food hygiene, structure (the premises) and confidence in management. In each area you must score no more than 5, and the three scores together must add up to 15 or less. Doing well in two areas won't make up for a poor score in the third. The FSA puts it this way: "to get the top rating, you must do well in all three elements", and all businesses "should be able to achieve" a 5 (FSA FHRS guidance for businesses).

Approach: I checked the scores held on the FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme register against the rating each business got, and confirmed the scoring rule from the FSA's business guidance and a council's published scoring table. The FSA's own FHRS Brand Standard, which sets the scoring rule, is not in the datasets I can search.

The scoring rule

On scores, lower is better. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council publishes this conversion table (Reigate & Banstead FHRS information for businesses):

Total of the three scoresNo single score aboveRating
0-1555 Very good
20104 Good
25-30103 Generally satisfactory
35-40152 Improvement necessary
45-50201 Major improvement necessary
over 50–0 Urgent improvement necessary

The FSA register follows this rule:

  • 5-rated businesses: of 9,663 I checked, every one had all three scores at 0 or 5. The most common pattern was 5/5/5 [5]. A clean 0/0/0 also gives a 5 [6].
  • One 10 is enough to lose the 5. A score of 5 for hygiene, 10 for structure and 5 for management gives a 4 [7]. So does 0 / 0 / 10, even though the total is only 10 [8].
  • The most common reason for a 4 in that sample was a 10 for structure or for confidence in management.

What to do in each area

These are the points from Regulation 852/2004 covered in my last answer, grouped by the score they affect.

  • Hygiene score (how you handle food)

    • Keep the cold chain unbroken and cool cooked food quickly.
    • Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart, with separate chilled storage.
    • Clean equipment between allergen and non-allergen use.
    • Store cleaning chemicals separately.
    • Keep ill staff away from food.

    [3]

  • Structural score (premises and equipment)

    • Keep the premises clean and in good repair, with surfaces that are sound and easy to clean.
    • Have enough wash-hand basins with hot and cold water, plus adequate ventilation and lighting.
    • Use pest proofing (for example insect screens where needed) and keep waste in closed containers.

    [3]

  • Confidence in management (usually the hardest to get down to 5)

    • Have a HACCP-based procedure that is written, actually used and kept up to date, with monitoring, corrective actions and records [4].
    • Have staff trained or supervised for the work they do [3].
    • The FSA points businesses to its Safer Food, Better Business pack for this (FSA guidance).

If you already have a lower rating

Once you've fixed what the officer raised, you can ask in writing for a re-rating visit (FSA guidance):

  • England: some councils charge for this. The visit is usually within 3 months if you pay a charge, and within 3 to 6 months if there's no charge.
  • Wales and Northern Ireland: there is a statutory fee, and the visit is within three months of your written request.

The officer will also tell you after the inspection what to change to raise your rating.

I can look up a specific business's current scores on the FSA register next, so you can see which area is holding it back.

Q.03

Can I appeal my rating or ask for a re-rating?

Yes, you can do either, and they suit different situations. Appeal if you think the rating was wrong: you must do it in writing within 21 days of being told your rating. Ask for a re-rating if you accept the rating and have since fixed everything the officer raised. You can also post a right to reply at any time.

Approach: I checked the FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme register, but it holds ratings and scores, not the appeal or re-rating rules. So this answer comes from the FSA's business guidance on GOV.UK and GOV.UK's page on appealing or improving a rating.

Appeal (you think the rating is wrong)

  • Deadline: in writing, within 21 days of being notified of your rating. England, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own appeal form (FSA guidance). Your notification letter tells you where to send it and whether you can email it (GOV.UK).
  • Who reviews it: the council's lead food officer or their deputy, or the lead officer from another council. It is never the officer who inspected you (FSA guidance).
  • Publication while you appeal: if you appeal within the 21 days, the rating isn't published online. It shows as "awaiting publication" until the appeal is decided (GOV.UK).
  • Decision: you're told the outcome within 21 days of the council receiving your appeal (FSA guidance). Neither page says what you can do if you still disagree after that.

Re-rating inspection (you've made improvements)

  • When you can ask: only once you've accepted the rating and made all the hygiene improvements needed. Your rating "could well go up, down or remain the same" (FSA guidance).
England, no feeEngland, fee chargedWales and Northern Ireland
FeeNoneSet by the councilAll councils charge
How many requestsOne between planned inspectionsNo limitNo limit, but certain conditions must be met
When the visit happensUsually not in the first 3 months, but within 6 months. It can be sooner if the only fixes were structural repairs or new equipmentWithin 3 monthsWithin 3 months of your written request

Source: FSA guidance.

The two official pages word the fee differently. The FSA guidance says "some" councils in England charge, while GOV.UK says "most councils charge" and will tell you the amount before you apply (GOV.UK).

Right to reply (in either case)

You can explain the improvements you've made, or any unusual circumstances on the day of the inspection. There's no deadline before your next inspection, and your reply is published with your rating. The council may first remove anything offensive, defamatory, clearly inaccurate or irrelevant. While you wait for a re-rating visit, a right to reply is a useful way to show customers what you've changed (FSA guidance).

Timing

Ratings of 0 to 4 are published 3 to 5 weeks after the inspection, which leaves time to appeal. A 5 goes online straight away. In England and Wales you can ask in writing for early publication, but not in Northern Ireland (FSA guidance).

If you tell me the business name or postcode, I can look up its current scores on the FSA register. That would show whether an appeal or a re-rating is the better route.

Q.04