How food hygiene ratings work (0 to 5)

How UK food safety officers score a food business, what each rating from 0 to 5 means, and why records decide so many ratings. With the official score bands.

Updated 28 September 2026 · 5 min read

Key facts

Officers give three scores: food handling (0–25), structure and cleaning (0–25) and confidence in management (0–30). Lower is better.
A 5 needs a total of 15 or less, with no single score above 5.
25,535 businesses rated 4 scored top marks for handling and structure but 10 for management (our count from FSA open data, 28 Sep 2026).
You can appeal a rating within 21 days, free of charge.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, every place that serves or sells food gets a food hygiene rating from 0 to 5 under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). A council food safety officer visits, gives three scores, and those scores decide the rating.

The three scores

For each score, lower is better.

Score	Range	What the officer looks at
Hygienic food handling	0–25	How food is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored and handled
Structure and cleaning	0–25	Cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and pest control
Confidence in management	0, 5, 10, 20 or 30	Your food safety system and records, training, attitude and track record

From scores to rating

The rating depends on the total of the three scores and on the worst single score.

Total score	And no single score above	Rating
0–15	5	5 (very good)
20	10	4 (good)
25–30	10	3 (generally satisfactory)
35–40	15	2 (improvement necessary)
45–50	20	1 (major improvement necessary)
Over 50	–	0 (urgent improvement necessary)

What the management score means

Score	What the officer found
30	No written food safety system at all
20	System missing or poor, or little progress since the last visit
10	Records generally kept, but with gaps
5	Only small gaps
0	Full records, plus an outside audit

Why records matter so much

We looked at the published scores of every business rated 4 in the FSA open data on 28 September 2026. Of the 62,570 with published scores, 25,535 (41%) scored 5 for food handling and 5 for structure, but 10 for management. For takeaways it was 3,621 of 9,867 (37%).

If those businesses improved their records by one step, from a management score of 10 to 5, their total would drop to 15 and they would be rated 5.

It goes further down too: 93% of businesses rated 3 have a management score of 10.

Scotland is different

Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS). Businesses get Pass or Improvement Required instead of a number.

Showing your rating

In Wales and Northern Ireland, you must display your sticker by law.
In England it is voluntary. The FSA found that 70% of businesses display it.
In September 2026 the FSA Board agreed to move towards mandatory display online across the UK and in shops in England. New law would still be needed.

After a low rating

Appeal: within 21 days, free of charge. A different officer decides.
Right to reply: you can publish your side next to the rating at any time.
Re-rating visit: ask in writing, with evidence such as photos, invoices and records. Councils usually charge, for example £190 in Preston, £342 in Hackney and £350 in Westminster.
The visit is unannounced and the rating can go up or down. A rating never changes on paperwork alone.
For management problems, the council may visit late to check the change has lasted, so weeks of good records count.

Questions

What score do you need for a food hygiene rating of 5?

A total of 0 to 15 across the three scores, with no single score above 5.

Do records affect my food hygiene rating?

Yes. The confidence in management score is based on your food safety system and records, training and track record. Gaps in records often keep a business at 4 instead of 5.

How much does a re-rating visit cost?

It depends on the council. Examples: £190 in Preston, £342 in Hackney and £350 in Westminster.

Do I have to display my food hygiene rating?

In Wales and Northern Ireland, yes, by law. In England it is voluntary for now, although the FSA plans to make display mandatory.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always check with your local council's environmental health team.