Food Hygiene: Know the Score 2026 report

Your role in food safety

While it's a legal duty for food businesses to operate hygienically, customers are still encouraged to look before they book. Checking these ratings to ensure that the premises are maintaining good standards of hygiene falls to you. Fortunately, checking ratings is straightforward; you can easily check online via the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website, and some businesses display their rating in-store.

However, in England, businesses are not legally required to display ratings, unlike Northern Ireland and Wales. The FSA’s 2025 audit found that 30% of establishments in England chose not to display their rating, increasing from 28% in 2024. This contrasts sharply with Northern Ireland and Wales, where the amount of businesses choosing to not display their ratings was 8% and 5% respectively.

Notably, businesses in England with a rating of 5 were more likely to display their sticker in a location visible from outside the premises (75%) compared to those rated 4 and below. The data also showed that the majority of low-rated businesses appeared to display a rating from the previous or an earlier inspection, rather than the most recent inspection. This highlights why your active participation is crucial. If a rating isn't clearly shown or doesn’t seem up to date, always check online.

Keeping yourself safe from food poisoning

Food poisoning can lead to serious illness. This can happen if food is not cooked or reheated thoroughly, is stored incorrectly, or left out for too long. It can also occur if food for consumption is handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands, or if food is eaten after its “use by” date.

Government data shows that there has been an increasing trend in the number of confirmed laboratory reports for Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella serovars from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that Salmonella serovars cases increased to 10,406, the highest figure in a decade, alongside 69,394 Campylobacter spp. cases.

These figures emphasise the importance of checking food hygiene ratings as by doing so you are taking a powerful step to safeguard your health.

Your power to choose

The call for mandatory display of food hygiene ratings in England continues to gain momentum. Your active participation in using these ratings and choosing businesses with high standards sends the clear message that food hygiene matters to you.

The FSA’s 2025 audit found that the most common reason for businesses to have a neutral or negative perspective on mandatory display was the belief that customers do not pay attention to ratings.

With the increasing cost of living, customers are eating out less and less, so are often placing more emphasis on quality. Whether you’re making a choice to eat out or ordering a takeaway, ensure that you are an informed consumer and look before you book.

A quick check of a business's rating on the FSA website empowers you to make safer choices and support businesses that consistently prioritise excellent hygiene, whilst protecting yourself from the health costs of a bad meal, not just the wasted money.

Consumer trust

With food hygiene ratings having a significant impact on customer decisions, taking food hygiene seriously isn’t just about ticking boxes to meet compliance standards, it’s a key driver of customer trust and long-term business success. The FSA has reported that over 90% of businesses in England, NI, and Wales agreed that having a good rating is attractive to customers as it shows them that the business takes food hygiene seriously and helps inform them about the business’s hygiene standards.

However, a low rating can damage your reputation and lead to a loss of customers. Research shows that 64% of customers consider cleanliness when choosing where to eat, with 82% stating they would avoid restaurants or takeaways with a hygiene rating of two or below.

The cost of foodborne disease: food for thought

Foodborne disease is a risk that food businesses take when food hygiene is not prioritised. Not only can foodborne disease have a severe impact on consumers, with 1 in 9 people falling ill each year from contaminated food, it can damage the economy too.

2026 FSA research shows that Campylobacter alone has an estimated societal and economic cost burden of £716M, whilst Salmonella has an estimated burden of £212M. In 2021 alone, the WHO estimated that productivity loss totalled US$310 billion for all countries combined.

A key takeaway

According to our data, 1 in 5 takeaways in England, Wales and NI have a hygiene rating of 3 or lower, although this rises to an incredible 47% in some cities. Compare this to only 11% of restaurants and 4% of hotels, and you can see that many takeaways drastically need to improve their standards.

Achieving and maintaining a top rating of 5 requires a consistent and proactive approach. Make sure you understand the FHRS framework, avoid these 10 most common food hygiene inspection mistakes and implement consistent best practice to ensure long-term success.

Whether you’re aiming to maintain a 5 or improve your current rating, our EHO approved Free Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Resource Pack is a practical guide designed to help you navigate the scheme and your inspection with expert tips and insight. It includes a wide range of resources and advice on practices that you can easily implement across your business to ensure long-term compliance and success. Alternatively, explore our range of CPD certified, RoSPA approved, and City & Guilds assured Food Hygiene Courses, endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality.