Eateries across the country are subject to inspection by food safety officers from the local authority, who visit businesses to check if it follows food hygiene laws, so the food is safe to eat.
The Food Standards Agency carries out inspections and rates the observed hygiene standards on a scale from zero to five.
Inspectors check the following three elements:
How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
The condition of the structure of the buildings – the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, and other facilities
How the business manages what it does to make sure food is safe and so that the officer can be confident standards will be maintained in the future.
What do the numbers mean?
Zero – Urgent improvement necessary.
One – Major improvements necessary.
Two – Improvements necessary.
Three – Generally Satisfactory.Four – Good on assessment.Five – Seen as very good.
Inspectors check the following three elements: