Score 25 — Urgent improvement necessary
A score of 25 indicates that urgent improvement is necessary in the hygienic handling of food at the time of your assessment.
This is the highest possible Hygienic Food Handling component score. FSA guidance describes it as almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations. The findings from your inspection now require urgent attention, with serious risks and any instructions from your food safety officer taking immediate priority.
Act on every issue identified during your inspection
Give immediate priority to serious food safety risks
Follow all instructions and timescales given by your local authority
What does a Hygienic Food Handling score of 25 mean?
A score of 25 means that urgent improvement is necessary in the hygienic handling of food.
This is the highest possible Hygienic Food Handling component score. FSA guidance describes it as almost total non-compliance with food hygiene requirements, with imminent and serious risks potentially identified.
At this level, very poor food hygiene practices may be present across several important controls. Immediate and significant action is required in respect of serious risks, with all other matters addressed within any timescales given by your local authority.
Almost total non-compliance has been identified
Score 25 represents the most serious level of non-compliance within this component. FSA guidance describes almost total failure to meet legal requirements for hygienic food handling and safety procedures.
Imminent and serious food safety risks may be present
FSA guidance associates this score with very poor food hygiene practices, serious contamination risks, inadequate temperature control and major failures in controls for preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling, storage or cross-contamination.
Your inspection findings and instructions now take priority. A Score 25 tells you the seriousness of the level of non-compliance, but not the exact problems found at your business. Follow your inspection report, letter and any instructions from your food safety officer, particularly where immediate action or specific deadlines have been given.
What should you do now?
At Score 25, your inspection findings and any instructions from your food safety officer must take priority. Serious food safety risks require immediate attention, with all other identified non-compliances addressed within the timescales you have been given.
Follow your inspection findings and instructions
Work through the inspection report, letter and any instructions issued by your local authority. Make sure every problem identified is understood, allocated for action and not overlooked.
Act immediately on serious food safety risks
Give immediate priority to any issues presenting serious risks to health. Follow any specific instructions given by your food safety officer and do not delay action while working through lower-priority improvements.
Correct the underlying failures
At this level, the problems are unlikely to be limited to one isolated mistake. Review the underlying controls for preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling, storage, temperature control, cross-contamination and personal hygiene wherever these have been identified as deficient.
Check that corrective action is actually working
Once changes have been made, verify them during normal operation. Keep appropriate evidence of completed work, check that staff are following the required controls and make sure serious weaknesses have not continued or returned.
