Top Tips For A Food Hygiene Rating Of 5 

Ensure You’ve Fixed Previous Issues 

Make sure that you know what the last EHO inspection report(s) said, and that you have completed everything from your last EHO report. Make sure the same items won’t crop up again, especially legal requirements. The “confidence in management” score which affects your food hygiene rating will be influenced by how you have responded to previous advice given to you by the EHO – they will look at your previous reports/history on file before they come to do your inspection, and will expect their advice to have been actioned. 

 

Getting Your Staff Trained 

Make sure your staff training is up to date, to the correct level, and they are on the ball with key aspects of your HACCP e.g. critical temperatures. Staff meetings are a great opportunity to refresh knowledge. Supervise and observe staff to make sure correct procedures and practices are being followed, and if not take action. 

Pest Control 

Pest Control is essential to keep pests out of your premises and prevent them from spreading harmful bacteria. 

If pests are found in your business it can lead to a recommendation of a prosecution which could result in the prohibition of a process and/or use of premises or equipment, fines or even imprisonment. You may also be banned from running a food business in the future 

Cleaning 

Don’t wait for the EHO to discover an accumulation of dirt hidden away in a neglected corner or under/behind equipment, use a powerful torch to check cleaning in dark, awkward places. Also, make sure any structural or equipment defects are reported and corrected as far as possible. Remember around a third of your food hygiene rating marks are for cleanliness and structure. 

 

Food Handling practices 

• Ensure staff wash hands after handling raw food and before touching surfaces, 

Such as the cash register to prevent cross-contamination. 

• Ready-to-eat foods need to be prepared in separate clean areas 

• Staff need to be aware of food allergy hazards 

• Having controls in place to prevent contamination by chemicals/foreign bodies for example. 

Glass, packaging materials, flies, rodent droppings, cleaning chemicals etc