Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Food businesses in Northern Ireland, including takeaways and restaurants, must display an up-to-date food hygiene rating. The rating must be displayed at or near each entrance to the food business. It can also be included in promotional materials, such as websites, flyers, social media posts and printed menus.

Displaying your food hygiene rating stickers

Under the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, Northern Ireland food businesses must display their food hygiene sticker: 

• at or near each customer entrance like the front door, entrance or window
• where they can be readily seen and easily read by customers before they enter 

Staff must also be able to tell customers the food business's food hygiene rating, when asked.

A food business must only use images of its current food hygiene rating. If your rating changes at a later inspection, you must only use images of the new rating and remove images of previous ratings from your premises or promotional materials.

Local councils may give an 'awaiting inspection' sticker to new food businesses or food businesses under new ownership once they register. You should display this sticker until the council inspects your business and gives you a food hygiene rating.

Online food hygiene ratings

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will publish your rating on its food hygiene ratings website. There may be temporary differences between the rating displayed at a business' premises and online rating. This may be because:

• the local council is in the process of uploading the new rating to the website
• the business is appealing its ranking and awaiting the result

If you cannot find a rating for your business online, you should contact the local authority responsible for inspecting the business.

Promote your food hygiene rating

You can promote your food hygiene rating by displaying it on your menus and website or social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This will benefit your food business as it shows your customers that you take food hygiene seriously. Customers can be sure the food you serve is safe.

Find out how to make the most of your business rating.