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Food safety

Food safety inspections

Calderdale Council carries out regular checks on all food premises to ensure the public is protected and that high standards are maintained.

Visits to premises are carried out, as far as possible, without prior notification and are priority programmed according to the degree of potential risk. This ensures that higher risk premises are visited more frequently than those in lower risk categories.

During an inspection, Officers will want to reassure themselves that potential food safety risks have been identified by the business, and that there are adequate controls in place to prevent any problems. They will also look at the training of managers and food handlers to ensure that it is suitable, and they will check that the condition of the premises and equipment is satisfactory.

Where practices or conditions are not satisfactory, every attempt will be made to resolve the situation by informal means, but where poor conditions persist, or where there is a risk to public health it may be necessary to resort to formal action. This could involve either the service of legal notice, prosecution, or in extreme cases closure of the business.

All food businesses must register with the local authority in which they are operating.

Scores on the Doors

The star rating system called Scores on the Doors is linked with all the other councils within West Yorkshire. The rating system is based on the structure, hygiene practices and management controls within the food business. The ratings go from five stars (excellent) to zero stars (very poor) with the concept that two stars indicates legal compliance.

• Guidance on Ratings [PDF file 103KB]|

Results of food safety inspections for a business within Calderdale, or other eatery within West Yorkshire, are published on  Scores on the doors| .

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