Why are we publishing this infomation?
All food businesses in the Dudley borough are subject to compulsory hygiene inspections by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). Since the Freedom of Information Act 2000 came fully into force in January 2005, we have received many requests to make the inspection reports public. In the public interest, we have therefore simplified these reports into star ratings and made them available on this website.
Is this a national scheme?
Not at the current time. The Food Standards Agency launched a national scheme in late 2010 but this has not yet been widely adopted by those local authorities that had already launched local schemes. The Dudley local scheme provides more information than the new national scheme and covers all food businesses rather than those just providing food for the final consumer. Future development and improvments to the new national scheme will most likely result in Dudley joining the national scheme in the future.
Is this just a scheme for Dudley?
No, many other local authorities also publish a summary of their food hygiene and safety inspections. You can see schemes being run in neighbouring local authorties by following these links:
The Food Standards Agency publish a list of all local authorities running scores on the doors schemes.
How are food safety and hygiene inspections carried out?
Environmental health officers and other qualified food safety enforcement officers carry out regular inspections at food premises to ensure that standards of hygiene and food safety are being maintained and that there is no risk to public safety. Inspections are mainly unannounced and take place during trading hours, including evening inspections for premises that predominantly trade out of normal hours. All inspections are carried out in accordance with the Food Safety Act 1990, the European Communities Act 1972 and their regulations and in accordance with national guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency in a Code of Practice and associated guidance.
All inspecting officers are qualified and authorised by the Council in food safety enforcement duties. All officers receive regular update and refresher training in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice and are subject to monitoring by senior officers to ensure compliance with documented procedures and consistency of applying ratings following inspections. In addition, regular consistency exercises involving all food safety enforcement staff take place.
In accordance with the Food Standards Agency’s Code of Practice, re-ratings are not carried out at secondary inspections or on re-visit inspections as these are not primary inspections.
In certain circumstances, inspections of food premises may be carried out earlier than the programmed due date for inspection in line with the Code of Practice. Such circumstances may include when the Council:
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Receives a new registration application
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Receives a consumer complaint
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Becomes aware of any material change in the ownership, management, layout or nature of operation of a food business
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Receives a referral under the Home Authority Principle
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Receives a request or other information from the Food Standards Agency
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Becomes aware of a possible outbreak of food borne infection
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Becomes aware that the business may be closed at the time of the due date because of seasonal closure
Are all food businesses included?
All food premises inspected are included in the publication scheme except:
- Businesses run at or from premises used primarily for domestic purposes. These will not be published as disclosure of the infomation may be seen as being disclosure of personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998.
- Businesses which are not subject to inspection due to the low risk nature of the business. These businesses are dealt with by means of alternative enforcement strategies.
- Inspections carried out by Dudley Trading Standards Officers at food premises. These food standards inspections deal with food labelling, composition, presentation and advertising and are not food hygiene inspections.
What are the limitations of the scheme?
The results of the most recent food hygiene inspection are displayed. Food premises are inspected at intervals ranging from 6 months for the highest risk premises to 36 months for the lowest risk premises.
Please note that our reasons for gathering such information are not to provide a system for recommending premises. Readers should look carefully at the wording of the descriptors when interpreting the ratings. Our inspections are specific and the rating system only reflects those concerns. Ratings are based on conditions found at the time of the last inspection. Therefore the score may not be representative of the overall, long-term food hygiene standards of the business and should not be solely relied upon as a guide to food safety or quality.
How is the star rating determined?
Following a full food hygiene inspection (known as a primary inspection), a business’s overall rating will be given based on three main areas, these being:
- Confidence in the management of the business. This includes the track record of the company, its willingness to act on previous advice, whether a documented food safety management system is in place and the attitude of its present management towards hygiene and food safety.
- The current level of compliance with food hygiene practices and procedures, including food handling and temperature control.
- The structure and condition of the premises. This will include, amongst other matters, the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, washing facilities and so on.
The hygiene rating given to premises will be based on the latest full inspection carried out and as such will represent the situation found by the inspecting officer on the day of that inspection.
What does the star rating mean?
A food business achieving 5* has an excellent standard of food safety and hygiene. A 4* means that there is a very good standard of food safety and hygiene and a 3* that the standard is good. A 2* rating is acceptable and indicates broad compliance with food safety and hygiene legislation. A 1* rating is considered to be poor and improvements have been required of the business. Any business rated as having no stars is failing to meet basic standards of food safety and hygiene and is considered to be very poor.
Will food businesses be required to display their star rating at the premises?
All food businesses inspected are provided with a display letter detailing the inspection results and the star rating. Businesses will be requested to display their star rating on the premises for customers to see the inspection results. However, there is no legal obligation to display the results on the premises, although this will be strongly encouraged. Even if a business chooses not to display their results on the premises for customers inspection, all inspections (except very limited exemptions) will be displayed on this website.
What if a food business operator is not satisfied with the rating given?
Businesses that wish to challenge their rating are able to submit a representation in writing to the Food and Occupational Safety Manager within 14 days of receiving their report. On receipt of a representation, the Manager or Principal Environmental Health Officer will verify the accuracy of the rating based on the Code of Practice requirements and the inspection information and data. The premises will not be revisited or reinspected. The rating will only be amended if it is found that there has been a discrepency in applying the original rating as required by the Code of Practice. The result of the representation will be notified in writing. Any person aggrieved by the written decision may submit a formal complaint through the Council’s complaint procedure.
You should be aware of the Council's Copyright and re-use of data requirements, details of which are available.
What action is being taken against poorly performing food businesses?
All businesses will have been informed of what action must be taken to comply with food safety and hygiene legislation. Further enforcement action will be in progress for all no star premises. This action may range from an educative approach with further inspections for new businesses to the service of statutory Improvement Notices and/or legal proceedings against business proprietors in line with the Council’s Enforcement Policy.
Any food premises deemed to pose a serious and imminent risk to public health will be closed, normally by using emergency powers in food legislation which allow Environmental Health Officers to prohibit a business from operating only until the matters causing imminent risk have been remedied. Please note that a poor standard of cleanliness alone is not sufficient grounds to prohibit a business from operating, although it would be grounds for other enforcement action such as prosecution.
How do I improve my rating?
Most inspections are followed up by a letter or notice that stipulates areas that could be improved. These may be legal requirements or recommendations. By implementing and maintaining these you will have improved on your practices and therefore your score is likely to improve at the next routine inspection. If you would like further information on how to improve your rating a self assessment questionnaire is available for the proprietor to use to identify areas that need to be improved upon.
A form to help you improve your rating is also attached at the bottom of this page.
