A food hygiene rating is an important indicator to many customers regarding the quality of cleanliness of your food handling and can even help them form a decision about where they choose to eat. Not only is it vital to ensure the food prepared in your premises is high-quality and tasty, but also safe and hygienic to avoid food-related illnesses. Whether you run a top-quality restaurant or a school cafeteria, it’s vital that everyone who enjoys your food can do so knowing it was prepared in a safe and clean environment.
Here’s how to get a 5-star food hygiene rating.
What is a food hygiene rating?
The Food Standards Agency operates the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. After assessing your business, they will provide you with a score between 1 and 5 that indicates the level of food hygiene in your business.
5 – hygiene standards are very good
4 – hygiene standards are good
3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
2 – some improvement is necessary
1 – major improvement is necessary
0 – urgent improvement is required
What do inspectors look for?
When an Environmental Health Officer (EHOs) comes to assess your premises, they will be focusing on three areas. This includes looking at your food hygiene compliance which is an assessment of how food is handled, prepared and stored. They will also look at structural compliance which is how clean the building and equipment is, whether the lighting is appropriate and whether your facilities are good enough to store food correctly. The last thing they will be looking at is management confidence which determines whether staff have been effectively trained and what policies and procedures are in place.
Food hygiene tips
Here are some of the aspects you should focus on to ensure the EHO will give you a 5-star rating.
- Food storage – Make sure that you have quality commercial fridges and freezers that maintain the right temperatures, aren’t overstocked and can provide good air circulation.
- Food preparation – Make sure the risk of cross-contamination is very low by having effective procedures and schedules. Chopping boards, knives and sinks should have specific uses and shouldn’t be used for different food items. Ensure there are different preparation areas for raw meat, fish, raw vegetables and ready-to-eat foods.
- Cleaning – Make sure there is a strict cleaning rota and everybody working in food prep and food serving areas sticks to the daily, weekly and monthly cleaning tasks. Bins should be kept clean and emptied regularly and fridges and freezers should be cleaned out on a monthly basis.
- Staff training – When new members of staff are inducted onto the team, it’s important to ensure they are given the right training so they know the right procedures. It’s a good idea to provide refresher training so that you can keep staff updated.
Mitchell’s provides heating services, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration in Gloucester to help keep your food business safe and compliant. We offer a range of building services and facilities management to help you achieve a 5-star food hygiene rating. Get in touch with us for more information.