Over 5,000 dining establishments across the UK, including restaurants, cafes, and canteens, have been deemed unsanitary, according to findings from the Daily Mail.

A thorough review of recent Food Standards Agency (FSA) data uncovered that out of 139,593 food-serving venues, 5,022 did not meet the basic hygiene requirements. This translates to approximately 3.6% of establishments, or one in every 28, falling short nationwide.

Notably, some prominent chains such as McDonald’s, Subway, Travelodge, and Pizza Express have at least one location flagged for needing improvements.

During inspections, officials have discovered severe issues like decaying food, evidence of rodent activity, and insect infestations. Some places were also reprimanded for unsafe storage of raw chicken.

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In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, all food-serving venues receive hygiene ratings ranging from zero to five.

A score of two or below counts as a fail because of them needing at least ‘some’ improvement.

The FSA data shows 2,100 received a rating of two. Another 1,718 were given a one – meaning major improvement is necessary.

Some 283 received the lowest possible rating of zero, where ‘urgent improvement is required’.

FSA research found it is twice as likely for foodborne illness outbreaks to occur in zero, one or two rated businesses than in those that are rated three, four or five.

While in Scotland, venues are graded on a binary pass/fail basis, with ‘Improvement Required’ counting as a fail. There are 921 businesses that currently have that label.

In the most serious cases, officials can close a business until improvements are made and can also recommend that a firm be prosecuted for breaching food standards regulations.

The Shetland Islands had the highest rate of restaurant hygiene failures at 19%, followed by Aberdeen (16.7%) and Ealing (14.8%).

At the other end of the scale, 19 councils in the UK didn’t have a single restaurant that failed a hygiene rating.

An inspection failure can have devastating effects on a business, as it can leave its reputation permanently damaged overnight.

But consumers are also now far more aware of food hygiene ratings than ever before, according to experts at Food Safety Consultancy UK.

A spokesman told the Daily Mail that more people are now regularly checking ratings online, and local community Facebook groups can highlight poor scores very quickly. 

‘If a rating isn’t displayed, that in itself should raise questions’, they added.

But even though everyone should be conscious of the cleanliness of where they are eating, the experts stressed that customers with allergies should be the most careful.

They said: ‘Getting this wrong can have life-threatening consequences and has been a key factor in major prosecutions.

‘Other ongoing challenges include pest control, staff training, record-keeping, and maintaining standards during busy periods.’

A poor rating can also impact business as some delivery platforms, such as Just Eat, require a minimum rating of three to sign up, so a poor score can affect turnover.

But despite the dangers, some businesses still take shortcuts — for example not having a proper pest control contract in place, inadequate cleaning regimes, or incomplete due-diligence records.

Staff shortages and high turnover also mean training often falls behind, which directly impacts standards.

And although a lower inspection score does not necessarily mean food is unsafe at that moment, customers should definitely be wary of what they are walking into.

Ian Andrews, of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: ‘Food hygiene standards depend on a range of factors, from the training of staff and good cleaning regimes, to things like the age of the building.

‘However, when food safety controls fail, illness can result, which ties up really valuable NHS resources. 

‘Environmental Health Practitioners will investigate what went wrong and look for ways to prevent it happening again. They will also take enforcement action where required to prevent illness spreading in the community.’

But although it is now easier than ever to find the results of a hygiene inspection online, businesses are still not required by law to display them in England – with only 72% choosing to do so.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, the likelihood of displaying it is linked to a higher rating, with 79% of five stars showing it off compared to 38% of those rated three.

Only establishments in Wales and Northern Ireland are required by law to have it displayed, but campaigners such as Which? and the FSA want to change England and Scotland’s law to be the same.

The FSA was set up in the late 1990s, in the wake of the mad cow disease crisis and the 1996 e-coli outbreak in Lanarkshire which killed 20 people.

Since then, the UK’s framework has become well established and is generally regarded as effective.

The system works by local authorities inspecting businesses in their area at least once every two years, before passing on the results to the FSA or Food Standards Scotland (FSS). 

But questions are being raised about its ability to meet demand, as many council environmental health departments have struggled to recruit sufficient qualified staff in recent years.

Over the past decade, the number of food standards inspectors employed by local councils has fallen by 45%.

The FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have previously warned that staff shortages and cuts are ‘putting unsustainable pressure on existing local authority teams and may increase the risk of important food safety issues being missed’. 

There are currently 10,363 restaurants serving food that have never been inspected.

Farrelly Mitchell, the co-founder and managing director of international food consultancy firm Farrelly Mitchell, told the Daily Mail outcomes can vary depending on a local authority’s resources.

He said: ‘Inspection capacity remains uneven across the country, particularly in peripheral areas or areas with a high concentration of food outlets. 

‘This can lead to longer gaps between inspections and delays in re-rating. 

‘Mandatory display of food hygiene ratings in England would likely help address this by increasing transparency and encouraging operators to prioritise compliance. 

‘Evidence from parts of the UK where display is already mandatory (Wales/NI) suggests it drives improvements and raises overall standards.’

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said they ‘know their local areas best’ and target their reduced resources at the riskiest businesses.

But it said ‘ultimately it is the responsibility of food businesses to ensure the products they produce comply fully with food safety law and pose no risk’, although it stressed councils will do all they can to maintain checks ‘despite severe budgetary pressures’.

Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said it supports the FSA ensuring that more complex businesses operating nationally comply with food law, which enables local authorities to focus on high risk businesses in their areas. 

A UKHospitality spokesman said: ‘The most recent FSA data shows over three-quarters (76.6%) of food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland achieved a top rating of 5 for hygiene.

‘Even with reported local authority resourcing challenges, this shows the sector demonstrates very high compliance.

‘Despite the pressures the sector has faced in recent years, the safety of our customers remains non-negotiable and food hygiene is a major focus for businesses – alongside work on allergens and food crime.’

The FSA claims the inspection is a ‘snapshot’ of food hygiene standards. 

Its ratings do not cover issues such as the quality of food, customer service, culinary skill, presentation or comfort, instead concentrating on how the food is stored and prepared.

The Daily Mail’s data was extracted from the FSA website and is correct as of December 16, 2025.

The results of every inspection are available on the FSA website, which is updated daily as more inspections roll in.

FSA chiefs recommend businesses are inspected depending on risk, ranging from once every six months to two years.

Some extremely low-risk premises – such as newsagents, market stalls and cricket clubs – may have even longer intervals between check-ups.

Businesses that fail can book a retest once they have rectified the issues in the initial report.

A FSA spokesman said: ‘The fact that premises with poor hygiene standards are being identified and scored appropriately demonstrates that local authority food officers are doing their job in protecting consumers. 

‘Food hygiene standards across the UK are very high. Almost 97% of establishments achieve a rating of “generally satisfactory” or better

‘Ratings are displayed online even if a business does not display their sticker.’

A Travelodge spokesman said: ‘We encountered an isolated issue at our Wembley Central hotel which led to a re-rating. 

‘We are working to get the hotel’s hygiene rating reassessed as soon as possible. All other Bar Cafés across our estate hold a rating of either four or five out of five.’ 

A spokesperson for PizzaExpress said: ‘We’re committed to the highest standards of food safety and hygiene. We look forward to a follow-up inspection to bring the rating back up to where we, and our customers, expect it to be.’

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: ‘We are disappointed that we’ve fallen short of the high standards we set ourselves in this most recent review. 

‘The restaurant took immediate action to rectify the issues raised and has requested a revisit so that this rating can be reassessed.’