Can You Appeal a Food Hygiene Rating?
Learn how to appeal your food hygiene rating in the UK, the 21-day deadline, what grounds are valid, and alternative options like right to reply and reinspection.
Yes. You can appeal your food hygiene rating within 21 days of receiving notification. The appeal is reviewed by a senior officer who was not involved in the original inspection.
Key Facts
In Detail
Yes, you have the right to appeal your food hygiene rating under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) operated by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with local authorities. The appeal must be lodged within 21 days of receiving your rating notification. You should submit your appeal in writing to your local authority, clearly stating the grounds on which you disagree with the rating. The appeal will be reviewed by a senior officer or manager within the environmental health team who was not involved in the original inspection. Valid grounds for appeal include factual errors in the inspection report, evidence that the officer did not observe important aspects of your operation, or evidence that improvements had already been made before the inspection that were not reflected in the rating. An appeal is not the right mechanism for disagreeing with the officer's professional judgement — if you simply feel the rating was "harsh" without being able to point to specific errors or oversights, the appeal is unlikely to succeed. The local authority should respond to your appeal within 21 days, though in practice it may take longer. If your appeal is unsuccessful, or if you do not wish to appeal but want to put your side of the story, you can use the "right to reply" mechanism. This allows you to submit a comment of up to 500 characters that will be published alongside your rating on the FSA food hygiene ratings website. Additionally, and often more effectively, you can request a reinspection after making improvements. This gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have addressed the issues and potentially achieve a higher rating. Most local authorities in England offer one free reinspection visit following a poor rating.
How to Write an Effective Appeal
When writing your appeal, be specific and factual. Reference the inspection report point by point and explain where you believe the assessment was incorrect. Include any evidence you have: photographs taken at the time, temperature records, training certificates, invoices for equipment or pest control, or statements from staff. Focus on what was in place at the time of the inspection, not improvements made afterwards (those are better addressed through a reinspection request). Avoid emotional language or personal criticism of the officer — the appeal will be assessed on evidence. If there were specific circumstances that affected the inspection (for example, major works were underway, or a key staff member was absent due to emergency), explain these clearly.
Reinspection vs Appeal
For many businesses, requesting a reinspection after making improvements is a more practical route than appealing. An appeal challenges the accuracy of the original inspection, while a reinspection gives you a fresh assessment based on your current standards. If your business genuinely had problems at the time of inspection, an appeal will fail because the rating was correct at that point. In that case, focus your energy on fixing the issues and requesting a reinspection. The reinspection will assess your premises fresh and can result in a new, higher rating. Be aware that a reinspection can also result in the same or even a lower rating if standards have not improved, so make sure all issues are fully addressed before requesting one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I miss the 21-day appeal deadline?
If you miss the 21-day deadline, you lose the right to appeal that specific rating. Your options are then to use the right to reply to publish a comment, or to request a reinspection once you have made improvements. Some local authorities may consider late appeals in exceptional circumstances, but they are not obliged to.
Does appealing delay the publication of my rating?
In most cases, the local authority will wait for the outcome of the appeal before publishing the rating on the FSA website. This provides an incentive to appeal promptly if you have genuine grounds, as it prevents a potentially incorrect rating from being published in the meantime.
Can my rating go down after an appeal?
No. The appeal process reviews whether the original rating was too low. It will not result in a lower rating than the one you received. The possible outcomes are that your rating is increased or remains the same.
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