Not Happy With Your Rating

What to Do if You Disagree with Your Hygiene Rating

If you are not happy with the food hygiene rating you have been awarded, you should contact the inspecting officer to discuss your concerns. If the issue cannot be resolved at that stage, you also have 3 further options to consider:

• Your right to request a re-visit
• Your "Right to Reply"
• Your right to appeal

Please follow the flow diagram for a schematic version of your options.

How to Apply/ Request/ Use the System

• Your right to request a revisit form (Word Document, 0.2 Mb)
• Your ‘Right to Reply’ (Word Document, 0.2 Mb)
• Your right to Appeal form (Word Document, 0.2 Mb)

How to Request a Re-Visit

• As the food business operator of the establishment you have a right to request a re-visit for the purposes of re-rating if you have taken action to rectify the non-compliances identified at the time of inspection.

• You can make one request for a re-visit per each planned statutory inspection by Derry City Council and you can make this at any time after the statutory inspection provided that you have made the required improvements.

• You must provide details of the improvements made with your request, including supporting evidence where appropriate.

• If we consider that you have provided sufficient evidence that the required improvements have been made, and provided that a three month "stand still" period has passed since the statutory inspection, the local authority will make an unannounced visit. This will take place within three months of the end of the three month "stand still" period or within three months of the request if this is made after the "stand still period"(if you were only required to make permanent structural improvements or repairs or to upgrade equipment, the local authority can choose to carry out the requested re-visit sooner than this).

• The Environmental Health Officer will give you a "new" food hygiene rating based on the level of compliance that is found at the time of the re-visit - you should be aware that your rating could go up, down or remain the same.

• To make a request for a revisit, please use the form below and return it to the food safety officer who inspected your premises. Your right to request a revisit form

How to Exercise Your "Right to Reply"

• The purpose of the "Right to Reply" is to enable you to give an explanation of subsequent actions that have been taken to make the required improvements as detailed in the inspection letter, or to explain mitigation for the circumstances at the time of inspection. It is not for making complaints or for criticizing the scheme or food safety officer.

• If you wish to use this "Right to Reply" please use the printable form and return it to the Environmental Health Officer who undertook your inspection. Your ‘Right to Reply’

• your comments will be reviewed by the Environmental Health Officer and may be edited in order to remove offensive or defamatory remarks before being published online and displayed together with your food hygiene rating at food.gov.uk/ratings

• There will be a statement at food.gov.uk/ratings that will highlight that the accuracy of your comments has not been revivified by local authority officers

How to Appeal

• Please use the appeal form and return it to the Senior Environmental Health Officer Food Control - contact details below. Your right to Appeal form

• You have 14 days (including weekends and bank holidays) from the date of receipt of the notification letter to lodge and appeal.

• The Senior Environmental Health Officer for Food will review your rating and communicate the outcome of your appeal top you within seven days