North Northants Council is committed to ensuring that the highest possible standards of public health and safety are achieved and maintained in food businesses within its area. We want consumers to have confidence in the safety of the food that they buy.
The Council has therefore adopted the Food Standards Agency's National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The scheme allows the public to find out about hygiene standards in both catering and retail food premises. Information will appear on certificates and stickers, which should be displayed in a prominent position at the premises for the information of customers. The information can also be viewed on the national website. The scheme went live across Northamptonshire on Friday 1st April 2011.
Check out premises in North Norhtamptonshire - Corby area via Food Standards Agency.
If you know the name of the premise enter it into the first box and Corby in the second, or for all Corby premises, simply type Corby in the second box then press Go,
- Types of food businesses in the FHRS scheme
- Exempt businesses
- Excluded businesses
- Does this apply to new food businesses?
- How the food business is scored?
- Right to reply under the food hygiene rating scheme
- Request for a revisit or re-inspection
- Rules for e-inspection
- Appeals under the food hygiene rating scheme
The food hygiene rating scheme extends to most food businesses that supply food direct to the customer, including:
- restaurants and cafes
- pubs
- takeaways
- mobile food vehicles
- market stalls
- hotels
- bed and breakfast premises
- food retailers
Food businesses within the scheme will receive a rating, based on their last inspection results, of between zero (urgent improvement necessary) and five (very good). The aim of the scheme is to help consumers make a choice about where they eat or buy food.
Some premises are exempt or excluded from the scheme.
Businesses exempt or excluded from the food hygiene rating scheme
Exempt businesses
For some registered food businesses, the food element or activity is not the main part of that business (and will generally not be regarded as a food business by consumers); these will be exempt from the scheme. They include, for example:
- visitor centres (or similar) selling tins of biscuits or other wrapped goods amongst a range of other goods
- leisure centres with only food vending machines selling only drinks or low-risk foods
- newsagents selling pre-packed confectionery
- chemist shops selling pre-packed confectionery and/or health foods
Certain businesses, such as child minders, operating from private addresses are also exempt.
Home caterers will not have their addresses published.
Some businesses do not supply food direct to consumers and these will not be scored under the scheme. This includes:
- farms
- manufacturers and packers
- importers and exporters
- distributors (including wholesalers, and other inter-business suppliers) and transporters
Where wholesalers, e.g.. cash & carries, are supplying food direct to consumers as well as to other businesses, they fall within the definition of scope and will be scored.
Does this apply to new food businesses?
A new food establishment will generally receive an inspection within 28 days of registering with us. Any existing rating relating to any previous food business at the premises will be suspended until the new inspection is completed. New businesses will be scored under the scheme at the first inspection unless any exemptions apply.
During the inspection, the inspecting officer will advise the operator if it appears that the premises is exempt or excluded from the scheme. Where a mobile food vehicle trades outside Corby's area, the operator will be advised that the scoring will be determined by another authority where the vehicle is based.
Where there is a change in food business operator, the establishment will be registered and treated as new, and a new score will be given at the first inspection. The score for the previous food business operator will be removed from the website.
In cases where there is solely a change to the name of the establishment, but the food business operator is the same, a new certificate will be issued in the new name but a new score will not be given.
In cases where the food business operator moves to new premises, the new establishments will be registered by the appropriate local authority and a new score given at the first inspection.
How the food business is scored?
The rating is calculated by taking into account three elements of the inspection. These are:
- Hygiene: level of (current) compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures (including food handling practices and procedures, and temperature control)
- Structure: level of (current) compliance with structural requirements (including cleanliness, layout, condition of structure, lighting, ventilation, facilities etc.).
- Confidence in management and control procedures.
Each of these elements is scored between 0 and 25 – the lower the score the better the standard achieved.
These scores are then 'mapped' to the relevant tier of the Scores on the doors scheme as shown in the table below:
Mapping of numerical scores from the intervention-rating scheme at Annex 5 of the Food Law Code of Practice to the six tiers of the national scheme:
|
|
Band 1 |
Band 2 |
Band 3 |
Band 4 |
Band 5 |
Band 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Annex 5 scores |
0 - 15 |
20 |
25 - 30 |
35 - 40 |
45 - 50 |
> 50 |
|
Additional scoring factor |
No score > 5 |
No score > 10 |
No score > 10 |
No score > 15 |
No score > 20 |
- |
|
Tiers |
Top |
Second |
Third |
Fourth |
Fifth |
Bottom |
|
Rating |
Five |
Four |
Three |
Two |
One |
Zero |
Note: The hygiene rating score is based on both the total score and the lowest single score.
The position of the food business will drop down the banding to the maximum level at which the additional scoring factor is permitted, e.g.. for a second tier establishment where there is an individual score of 15, the establishment would drop down to the fourth tier.
Right to reply under the food hygiene rating scheme
A food business operator may give feedback on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website relating to the hygiene rating that has been given to his business. He can explain actions that have been taken to rectify any problems or provide reasons for the circumstances found at the time of the officer undertook the inspection.
A PDF right to reply form is downloadable from this website (to the right of this page) or via this link from the Food Standards Agency and download the Right to Reply pdf form.The text may be edited by the local authority before being published at www.food.gov.uk/ratings in order to remove any offensive, defamatory, clearly inaccurate or irrelevant remarks.
The reply will appear alongside the hygiene rating on the FSA website.
Request for a revisit or re-inspection
A food business operator who has carried out all the work required to comply with food hygiene requirements may request a re-inspection to have the business re-rated. An inspecting officer may make a number of re-visits to a food business to check on compliance following an initial/programmed inspection. Visits may also be made following a complaint from a member of the public, or to carry out sampling or discuss sampling results. We do not undertake a re-assessment of the business compliance as a result of these interim visits for the purpose of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (NFHRS) (unless it is in the public interest to do so). A new risk rating will only be given at the next programmed inspection, when a business can demonstrate a sustained level of compliance.
However, the NFHRS does allow for a business to formally request a re-inspection, if it has made the necessary improvements to rectify the non-compliances identified during the Council's initial/programmed inspection.
The Food Business Operator (FBO) can make a request for a re-inspection at any time after the planned intervention as long as the actions necessary to rectify the non-compliances have been carried out. The FBO cannot, however, dictate when the re-inspection/revisit will take place. To download a form, please click here - https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-hygiene-ratings-for-businesses
- the FBO must make a written request for a re-inspection. For your convenience, please find a downloadable PDF revisit requests form to the right of this page, or you can make a revisit request via the online form here http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/hygieneratings/fhrsguideforbusiness the request must refer to those actions that the local authority informed the FBO would need to be made in order to improve the level of legal compliance the request must be accompanied by sufficient evidence to substantiate the request
- the re-inspection will not take place until three months have elapsed since the intervention at which the rating was given (the 'standstill' period). In cases where the contravention related to straightforward structural repairs or upgrading of equipment, a re-inspection may be made within this period
- the re-inspection/re-visit will take place within three months of the end of the three month 'stand still' period, or within three months of the request where this is made after the 'stand still' period. This means that six months is the maximum amount of time a business should have to wait for a re-inspection/re-visit after making a request.
- the inspecting officer may telephone to establish what remedial action has been taken to ensure that the re-inspection is appropriately timed and to confirm that all matters of non-compliance have been addressed
- the re-inspection will be unannounced unless it is necessary to ensure that certain staff are present and it does not compromise food safety
For each planned intervention where a food hygiene rating has been given by the local authority, an FBO can have only one requested re-inspection/re-visit, other than in duly justified exceptional circumstances.
NOTE: If the case made by the FBO is not substantiated or insufficient evidence is provided, the inspecting officer may refuse to undertake a re-inspection. The officer will explain why the request is being refused and confirm the priority actions that must be taken in order to improve the level of legal compliance.
If the FBO disagrees with the local authority's decision to refuse a request for a revisit, they can raise the issue with the Lead Officer for Food at Corby Borough Council.
The re-inspection will not only assess whether the required improvements have been made, but will also assess the level of compliance that is found overall. This means that the food hygiene rating could go up, down or remain the same if deemed appropriate by the local authority officer.
There is currently no charge for requested re-inspections.
The FSA is not opposed in principle to charging for such requested re-inspections/revisits as part of the FHRS and the possibility of this is being considered by the FSA for the longer term.
Appeals under the food hygiene rating scheme
If a food business is provided with a hygiene rating of less than 'five', the food business operator will be provided with information on the appeal process. An appeal must be made in writing within 14 days of notification of the rating and be sent by post to Health Protection Manager, Corby Borough Council using the downloadable PDF appeals form to the right of this page, or via http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/hygieneratings/fhrsguideforbusiness and select the appeals pdf. If sent by post, proof of posting should be retained by the food business operator in the event that verification is required that an appeal has been made.
The appeals procedure is only relevant where a food business believes that the rating it has received does not reflect the hygiene standards and management controls that were present at the time of the inspection.
Before making a formal appeal, it is recommended that the food business operator contact the inspecting officer informally to clarify the reason for the rating. This is particularly important if the food business operator was not present at the time of inspection.
An appeal is considered by the Health Protection Manager who will review the information on file relating to the inspection against the code of practice and local authority guidance. If there is insufficient information on file a visit may be required.
The appeal will be determined within seven days of being received. This will be sent by first class post. The food hygiene rating will then be published at www.food.gov.uk/ratings. If appropriate, a new certificate or sticker will be provided to the business within 14 days of the determination.