Eat Safe Award business guidance

The Eat Safe Award helps people easily spot places with excellent food hygiene. It’s run by local authority Environmental Health teams, in partnership with Food Standards Scotland.

Businesses are checked for the award during their regular food hygiene inspections. These inspections are done by the local authority, which also gives out the Eat Safe certificates.

Any business in Scotland that sells food directly to customers can take part in the scheme.

The Eat Safe Award is a great way to show your customers that you take food hygiene seriously. It’s designed to highlight businesses in Scotland that go above and beyond in food safety.

If your business receives the Award, you’ll enjoy several benefits, including:

• recognition for having excellent food hygiene and safety practices
• a certificate and window sticker to show customers you’re committed to food safety
• leaflets that explain what the Award means and why it matters

During a hygiene inspection, the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will check:

• if your business complies with food law
• if your business could pose any risks to customers’ health.
• how well your food safety procedures (like HACCP) work to control those risks

The results of the inspection will decide if you qualify for the Eat Safe Award.

Ask yourself these questions:

• do you keep your food hygiene and safety standards high?
• is your building and equipment clean and in good condition?
• do you have strong food safety procedures in place (like HACCP)?
• have your staff been trained to meet the standards required for the Award?

Nothing.

You’ll receive the Eat Safe Award if your business meets the required standards. You will keep the Award as long as you continue to meet those standards.

If your standards drop, the Award can be taken away. This helps make sure the public can always trust the Award as a sign of excellent food hygiene.

If you sell your business or move to a new location, the Award won’t transfer to the new owner or the new address, so a new inspection will be needed.

After your inspection, if you believe your business met the standards for the Eat Safe Award but didn’t get it, you have the right to raise your concerns with the local authority. They will be happy to talk through any worries or complaints you may have.

Food Standards Scotland will promote the scheme. Awareness of the scheme will be built up over time through media activity. Your food business listed on the Eat Safe database.

The Eat Safe Award and the FHIS are two separate schemes, but they work well together.

FHIS checks if a business meets the basic legal standards for food hygiene. The Eat Safe Award goes a step further - it recognises businesses that go above and beyond those legal requirements.