Eating out? Getting food in? Check the food hygiene information
Inspections
Officers from the Environmental Health Section's Food and Business Group carry out routine inspections to assist food businesses in complying with two areas of food legislation:
Food Hygiene
The Food Safety Act 1990 requires that West Dunbartonshire Council, acting as the Food Authority, regularly inspects all food businesses in the area to ensure compliance with the legislation in terms of operational procedures, cleanliness and structure.
Food Standards
The Food Safety Act 1990 also requires that West Dunbartonshire Council regularly inspects all food businesses in the area to ensure compliance with the legislation in terms of labelling, composition and quality of food.
- In West Dunbartonshire, food hygiene and food standards are covered during the same inspection.
- Inspections are carried out according to a priority rating system at frequencies of 6, 12, 18 or 24 months according to the perceived risk.
- A written report is issued to the proprietor of the food business after each inspection. An inspection report represents a "snapshot" of the conditions on the day and time of the inspection.
- A food business could have fewer or more contraventions of legislation than noted in the report on any given day. Therefore an inspection report may not be representative of the overall, long-term standards.
- The rating given under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme may have been achieved following one or more revisits to the business after the initial inspection.
Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS)
West Dunbartonshire Council participates in the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) and uploads the ‘PASS’ or IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED’ ratings from its inspections on the Foods Standards Agency Website.
The food hygiene information scheme rating given to a business reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of inspection or visit by the local authority. The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality.
The information provided on businesses is held on the site on behalf of local authorities participating in the national Food Hygiene Information Scheme in Scotland or Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. You can only search areas running either of these schemes. All 32 Local Authorities in Scotland participate in the Food Hygiene Information Scheme.
If you have a food complaint or concerns about a food premises hygiene and standards, you can report this using the Environmental Health issues form.