Upward trend of hygiene rating display continues in England

Almost three-quarters of businesses in England were displaying a food hygiene rating in the latest inspections, making it the highest rate since monitoring began in 2011.

However, results published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found self-reported display of scores was higher than the reality.

Outlets are given a rating from 0 to 5, with 5 indicating “very good” food hygiene and 0 meaning “urgent improvement necessary.” In Wales and Northern Ireland, businesses are legally required to display their Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) sticker. In England, they are only asked to do so voluntarily.

The study included a telephone survey of 1,349 food businesses, and a physical and online audit of 1,348 companies between October and December 2024.

Impacts on rating display
In England, 72 percent of businesses were displaying a FHRS sticker either inside or in a location visible from outside their premises. The rate of display in 2023 was 69 percent. Around eight in 10 of those rated 5 were showing a rating but this dropped to 38 percent with a score of 3. Only six of 20 sites with a rating of 2 or less displayed their rating.  

In Northern Ireland, 90 percent of businesses were displaying a sticker either inside or in a place visible from outside and this figure was 94 percent in Wales.

Self-reported display of ratings was higher than observed in the audit. At 97 percent, nearly all businesses in Northern Ireland and Wales reported displaying their rating where it was clearly visible to customers, compared to 90 percent and 94 percent seen in the audit. In England, 86 percent of outlets reported displaying their rating compared to the 72 percent found in the audit.

Businesses in England gave a range of reasons for not displaying the FHRS sticker, with the most common being that there was nowhere suitable for it to go where customers could clearly see it. When asked what actions might encourage them to show their sticker, the main response was if they had a higher food hygiene rating.

The majority of outlets displaying an FHRS sticker in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales were showing a rating that matched the database at the time of the audit. Around two-thirds displayed a higher rating than in the database, a fifth were showing a lower rating, and four outlets had multiple stickers with different ratings.

Awareness of FHRS remains high, with 94 percent of establishments in both Northern Ireland and Wales reporting they had heard of it, and 91 percent in England.

Rating satisfaction
Nine in 10 establishments in Northern Ireland and England were satisfied with their rating but this fell to 84 percent in Wales. Satisfaction with their rating was lower among businesses with a score less than 5.

Six in 10 firms in Northern Ireland and England said the lowest rating they would be satisfied with was a 5. Only 4 percent said they would be happy with a 3. However, in Wales 13 percent would be satisfied with a score of 3.

Almost nine in 10 in England felt it would be a good thing if they were required by law to display their rating. Participants said this would help customers decide where it was safe to eat or purchase food.

An online audit that included Facebook business pages, Instagram profiles and companies’ own websites revealed only a few firms post ratings on these platforms.

In the telephone survey, the majority of respondents felt that display of food hygiene ratings should become mandatory for at least some online platforms.

Only about one in 10 businesses mentioned their food hygiene score in promotional materials.

When a business is dissatisfied with their rating, they have the right to appeal, right to reply or apply for a re-rating inspection. Despite high levels of awareness, only a small proportion of companies rated 0-4 actually used one of these options.

The most common changes businesses made to get a higher rating were undertaking repairs or improvement works; improving documentation and recordkeeping; fixing structural issues; and purchasing additional equipment. 

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