Food grading is the process of assessing and inspecting various foods. The inspections and assessments involve sorting the food regarding:
• Quality
• Freshness
• Legal conformity
• Market value
In addition to food grading alone, businesses such as restaurants, hotels and supermarkets can be given an overall hygiene rating. The process of achieving this rating includes a food safety officer from the local authority inspecting the business ensuring that the food hygiene law is followed.
A popular government food grading scheme is the Food Hygiene Rating System. This system gives businesses a rating from 0 – 5, but what does this mean?
0 = urgent improvement required
1 = major improvement necessary
2 = some improvement is necessary
3 = hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
4 = hygiene standards are good
5 = hygiene standards are very good
How are results determined?
To receive a good hygiene rating businesses must do well in the following 3 elements:
– Handling of Food
How hygienically is the food handled? This includes how the food is cooked, prepared, cooled, stored and reheated.
– Physical Condition of the business
The overall cleanliness of the environment that food is kept and served in is an important factor of food hygiene. This also includes customer comfort such as layout, lighting and ventilation
– Maintaining Hygiene
This looks at how the business manages to keep food safe, such as processes and training. he officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.
How can your business maintain Food Hygiene?
Different types of food can be graded to different standards. All of the tests carried out ensure that food safety and food hygiene standards are met.
The Food grading and sampling facility at Edwards Transport provides customers with a spacious hygienic environment in which to conduct sampling and grading activities.
Find out more about Edwards Transports food grading and sampling services here – https://edwards-transport.com/added-value-services/food-grading-sampling/