Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013

Informing the public about food hygiene ratings

7 Requirement to display food hygiene rating stickers

(1) When the operator of a food business establishment has received notification of its food hygiene rating, the operator must display the food hygiene rating sticker provided.

(2) This requirement does not apply until—

(a) the period of 21 days for an appeal has expired, or

(b) if an appeal has been made, the appeal has been determined and the operator has received notification of the outcome.

(3) The sticker must be displayed in the location and manner prescribed.

(4) Regulations prescribing the proper location and manner for displaying a sticker may make different provision for different types of establishment (including provision about the display of a sticker at more than one location).

(5) The sticker ceases to be valid when the establishment’s food hygiene rating ceases to be valid.

(6) If an establishment’s sticker ceases to be valid, the operator must remove it from display and destroy it (unless he or she is instructed not to destroy it by an authorised officer).

8 Requests for information about food hygiene ratings

(1) The operator of a food business establishment must ensure that each relevant employee is aware of the establishment’s food hygiene rating.

(2) The operator and any relevant employee must comply with a request made by a person to be informed verbally of the establishment’s food hygiene rating.

(3) In this section, “relevant employee” means someone who—

(a) is employed at the establishment, and

(b) is likely, in the opinion of the operator, to be subject to a request to inform a person verbally of the establishment’s food hygiene rating.

9 Offences

(1) An operator of a food business establishment commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, the operator—

(a) fails to display a valid food hygiene rating sticker in the location and manner prescribed;

(b) displays an invalid food hygiene rating sticker;

(c) fails to retain a valid food hygiene rating sticker;

(d) parts with possession of a food hygiene rating sticker to any person other than an authorised officer of a food authority;

(2) An operator of a food business establishment is also guilty of an offence if, without reasonable excuse—

(a) a person’s request to be informed verbally of the establishment’s food hygiene rating is denied; or

(b) a person making such a request is given false or misleading information about the establishment’s food hygiene rating.

(3) A food hygiene rating sticker remains the property of the food authority.

(4) A person commits an offence if that person—

(a) intentionally alters, defaces or otherwise tampers with a food hygiene rating sticker, and

(b) does so otherwise than for the purpose of removing it from display, or destroying it, in accordance with section 7(6).

10 Promoting food hygiene ratings

(1) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, make provision about the promotion of a food business establishment’s food hygiene rating by—

(a) an operator of the establishment;

(b) a person acting on the operator's behalf.

(2) The regulations may, for example, impose duties upon an operator in relation to—

(a) publicising the rating electronically;

(b) publicising the rating in material promoting the food provided by the establishment.

(3) The regulations may also—

(a) create an offence;

(b) impose a penalty (including a fixed penalty);

(c) make provision about enforcement;

(d) make different provision for different types of establishment.

(4) In this section, a reference to an establishment’s food hygiene rating includes a reference to a rating provided by virtue of section 12 (food hygiene re-ratings).