Shahnaz Ahmed, the designer of the UK's food hygiene rating stickers, has taken to TikTok to reveal the subtle design features she incorporated into the iconic green labels. Now 41, Ahmed created the stickers 16 years ago for the Food Standards Agency (FSA), and they have remained unchanged since.
In a series of posts, Ahmed pointed out that the letter 'i' in both 'hygiene' and 'rating' is actually a knife and fork, inspired by the FSA logo. She explained, 'A little bit of joy for your everyday.' She also added a translucent 'sheen' on the numbers to make them appear like pressable buttons, symbolising that ratings can change with each inspection.
Ahmed further revealed that the angle of the black triangle pointing to the rating number is taken from the 'y' of 'hygiene' above, ensuring consistency. She noted that some printed versions have the sheen too strongly, but this was not in her original design file.
The stickers rate businesses from zero (urgent improvement needed) to five (very good), based on FSA inspections. While display is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland, it is not required in England and Scotland. Ahmed's revelations have been praised online, with one user comparing her work to Margaret Calvert's road signs.
