Scores on the Doors
It is very important that all food businesses obey the law and supply food that is safe to eat. Consumers in certain areas can already see how well a food business complies with food hygiene regulations through Scores on the Doors schemes run by their local authority.
The primary purpose of these Scores on the Doors schemes is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places in which they eat out and from which they purchase food, and, through this, to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.
Local authority enforcement officers are responsible for inspecting food businesses to ensure that they meet the legal requirements on food hygiene. Under Scores on the Doors schemes, each food outlet is given a hygiene rating or hygiene score that reflects the inspection findings and may display this in their premises where consumers can see it. Scores are also available via websites where consumers can see the scores for all the businesses in the local area.
At the moment, more than 200 local authorities across the UK have Scores on the Doors schemes in place. These schemes vary in their design and the way that they are operated so the Agency is working towards a national approach to avoid further proliferation of different arrangements in different areas, and so ensure consistency for consumers and clarity for businesses.
Following a public consultation in the summer of 2008, the FSA Board agreed that a six-tier national scores on the doors scheme should be established in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as the majority of schemes already operating in these countries are based on this design. A two-tier scheme will continue in Scotland in line with the prevailing views of stakeholders there.
A UK-wide Steering Group, with local authority, industry and consumer representation, has been established to oversee development of the six-tier national scheme and to ensure commonality of approach with the two-tier scheme continuing in Scotland.
Welsh language material
To see information and resources on the 'Scores on the Doors' scheme in Welsh, please click here
Find out more
Scores on the Doors: Your questions answered
Answers to frequently asked questions about Scores on the Doors.
Resources for local authorities joining the national scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Agency has produced a range of guidance and materials to assist local authorities beginning preparatory work towards introducing the national food hygiene rating scheme. This page will be updated as new elements of the scheme are agreed and new materials are produced.
Scores on the Doors schemes in the UK
A number of different scores on the doors schemes are already in operation across the UK. In this section you can find out how well a food business has done at its last inspection.
UK-wide Scores on the Doors Steering Group
The UK-wide Scores on the Doors Steering Group has been set up to advise the Agency on the development and implementation of the national scheme.
Background to Scores on the Doors
This section contains the latest news about Scores on the Doors as well as details of the background to the scheme, including the pilot schemes, the consultation process and FSA Board discussions.