More than 7,000 takeaways and 8,000 restaurants in the UK have failed food hygiene inspections, according to a Guardian analysis of Food Standards Agency data. The examination of over 460,000 businesses found that nearly 30,000, or 6.4%, received a failing grade, meaning they are dirty or have poor procedures.
The FSA ranks establishments from zero to five, with zero indicating urgent improvement is required. A score of zero to two is considered a fail, while three to five is satisfactory. Takeaways and sandwich shops performed the worst, with 15% failing, while schools, colleges and universities had less than 1% failing.
There are significant regional disparities. Newham in east London had the highest fail rate for takeaways at 50.4%, followed by Epsom and Ewell (46.2%) and Edinburgh (38.2%). The 10 worst areas overall include Newham, Edinburgh, the Shetland Islands and Islington. In contrast, the Orkney Islands, north Devon and South Ayrshire had the highest pass rates.
Scotland has a higher proportion of failing establishments at 10%, compared to 6% in England, 5% in Wales and 2% in Northern Ireland. Wales, which made it mandatory to display hygiene scores in 2013, has seen significant improvements. Northern Ireland will introduce a similar policy on 7 October.
Several chain outlets currently hold the worst possible score of zero, including a Chopstix Noodle Bar in Liverpool and a Poundbakery in the same city. These branches have temporarily closed to address hygiene issues and await reassessment.
