Why a good Hygiene Rating is Important

In the UK all premises preparing food have to have a regular Food Standards Agency inspection.  The frequency will depend on the perceived level of risk to health at your premises.  Timings are typically 6 monthly or 2 yearly.  Higher risk premises having the most frequent inspections.

The inspection is nothing to be afraid of and if you are following good health and safety and hygiene routines it is actually a blessing as you will then be assured a high rating.  A high rating is important for a number of reasons, not least that you don’t want to be responsible for making customers ill.  Or, for there to be any doubt whatsoever that their illness could have been from a visit to your premises.  

Campylobacter, E.coli, Hepatitis E virus, Listeria and Salmonella can all be contracted from unhygienically prepared food.

Good hygiene is also helpful to the catering owner or manager for other reasons:

Staff morale, staff who know they are working in a clean hygienic environment will be happier and happier staff work better.

Displaying that level 5 rating in your shop window is a great way to gain respect and bring in customers.

Cleaned and maintained equipment works better and lasts longer.

Customers will complain, some will complain about anything, you don’t want to give them cause and suffer investigations that will damage your reputation or lead to court hearings if there was something wrong.

Here is the checklist that the Food Standards Agency Use to check catering premises.

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/food-safety-checklist.pdf

Why not use it as a checklist for staff to ensure that they are following procedures?

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