The information on this page is presented in the format of frequently asked questions. Please click a question from the index below to see the appropriate answer.
What happens during food safety inspections?
The inspector’s role is to provide information and advice to businesses as we believe that "prevention is better than cure".
During an inspection you can expect:
The inspector will call:
You are legally obliged to assist and co-operate with the inspector and not be obstructive whilst the inspector carries out his or her duties.
How can I see inspection results for food businesses in Slough?
A new online Food Hygiene Inspections service gives local residents access to information on the standards to help people choose to eat from businesses where standards are high. You can view the latest food hygiene inspections, whether the business has attained a star rating and whether any prosecutions have been taken against the business. The information is updated weekly and shows inspection data from April 1st 2006.
What do the stars mean?
The stars are an indication of the overall food hygiene standards at the time of the inspection.
What businesses are eligible for consideration for an award?
At present catering businesses which have been operating under the same ownership for six months or more. Depending on the success of the award scheme we may extend it to retailers and other food businesses in the future.
I can’t find my favourite business on the website. What does that mean?
It means that the premise hasn’t been inspected since April 2006. We have a programme of inspections which means that most caterers are inspected every 18 months to 2 years. You will need to keep checking the website - we will post the results once we have carried out an inspection.
My favourite business is on the website but doesn’t have any stars.
This means that it has been inspected but that the standards were found to be below basic legal requirements for food hygiene. The officer will have taken some action to deal with this situation. Further details are available under ‘action to be taken’.
The café on the corner has a bronze certificate displayed on their wall. I thought that I was looking for stars?
We used to run a scheme with bronze, silver and gold awards. The stars are now replacing the old scheme and the next time the business is assessed they will be issued with a new certificate if necessary. Bronze, silver and gold awards are roughly replaced with two, three and four stars respectively.
Does the award guarantee the safety of the food?
No, please see our disclaimer on the site. The award is based on the standards observed over a short period of time. Standards in food businesses change all the time, and may have improved or worsened since the last inspection. Unfortunately it is not possible to guarantee the safety of food produced.
For all enquiries please contact the Customer Service Centre
01753 475111
My Council
Landmark Place
High Street
Slough
opposite Slough Library
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