Food hygiene ratings

The Food Standards Agency is from today (21 October 2022) updating the way you can access the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) application programming interface (API) version 1 (v1).

If you use FHRS API v1 you will need to switch over to the new domain name (api1-ratings.food.gov.uk). The rest of the existing URL structure will stay the same, the only change is to the domain name.

For example, if you currently use API v1 to receive data for the business type ‘schools/college/universities’, you could use the URL https://ratings.food.gov.uk/enhanced-search/en-GB/%5E/%5E/Relevance/7845/%5E/%5E/0/1/10/xml

This will change to https://api1-ratings.food.gov.uk/enhanced-search/en-GB/%5E/%5E/Relevance/7845/%5E/%5E/0/1/10/xml

Please note that any bookmarks or links you have saved will need to be updated.

You can continue to access the API using the current domain (ratings.food.gov.uk) until March 2023.

We are making this change as part of our service infrastructure modernisation.

About the FHRS API v1

The application programming interface allows developers access to the underlying food hygiene rating data published at www.ratings.food.gov.uk.

Please email data@food.gov.uk if you have any queries.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme public website has seen high levels of traffic since February, peaking around the start of the COVID lockdown. As a result the FSA introduced traffic throttling on 19th March in order to reduce the risk of service outages that affect all users. The throttling rate is variable, being dependent on the currently operational environment, but likely to be significantly higher than 1/s. If you are sending requests at volume and seeing Http 403 errors, this is the likely cause.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by Solihull (local authority code 426) will change, this is due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs. Solihull plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 18th July 2022.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by Cambridge City (local authority code 027) will change, this is due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs. Cambridge City plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 7th March 2022.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by South Ham (local authority code 077) changed on 29th November 2021, this was due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs, which generates the FHRSIDs.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by West Devon (local authority code 081) changed on 16th November 2021, this was due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs, which generates the FHRSIDs.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by South Cambridge (local authority code 032) will change, this is due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs. South Cambridge plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 13th December 2021.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by Kingston-Upon-Thames (local authority code 521) will change, this is due to the council changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs. Kingston-Upon-Thames plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 28th June 2021.

On 1st April 2021 the following local authority merger will take place. This is represented in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme open data as follows:

• Wellingborough (local authority code 241)
• Kettering (local authority code 238)
• Corby (local authority code 235) and
• East Northamptonshire (local authority code 237)

...merged to become North Northamptonshire (local authority code 235).

Once the local authorities have merged their databases they will upload a single file, and establishments which were uploaded to the old accounts will change their FHRSID number.

All local authorities operating the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and Food Hygiene Information Scheme can be found at https://ratings.food.gov.uk/authorities/xml This file will also be amended when the changes have been implemented.

On 1st April 2021 the following local authority merger will take place. This is represented in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme open data as follows:

• Daventry (local authority code 236)
• Northampton (local authority code 239) and
• South Northamptonshire (local authority code 240)

...merged to become West Northamptonshire (local authority code 236).

Once the local authorities have merged their databases they will upload a single file, and establishments which were uploaded to the old accounts will change their FHRSID number.

All local authorities operating the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and Food Hygiene Information Scheme can be found at https://ratings.food.gov.uk/authorities/xml This file will also be amended when the changes have been implemented.

A number of establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (local authority code 872) will change, this is due to the council merging databases.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 15th March 2021.

As a trial, the FSA is making the Open Data Files available in JSON format.

To download files in JSON format, simply replace the .xml file extension in Urls with .json. For example, for the Babergh Local Authority:

https://ratings.food.gov.uk/OpenDataFiles/FHRS297en-GB.xml
...becomes...
https://ratings.food.gov.uk/OpenDataFiles/FHRS297en-GB.json

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by High Peak (local authority code 067), Staffordshire Moorlands (local authority code 293) and South Staffordshire (local authority code 291) will change, this is due to the councils changing databases and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs.

High Peak, Staffordshire Moorlands and South Staffordshire plan to upload the new establishmentIDs which generates the FHRSIDs on 15th June 2020.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by Cannock Chase District Council (local authority code 287) will change, this is due to the council changing database and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs.

Cannock Chase District Council plan to upload the new establishmentIDs, which generate the FHRSIDs, on 1st June 2020.

The establishmentIDs and FHRSIDs for establishments uploaded by East Staffordshire Borough Council (local authority code 288) and Lichfield District Council (local authority code 289) will change, this is due to the council changing database and being unable to use the same establishmentIDs.

East Staffordshire and Litchfield plan to upload the new establishmentIDs, which generate the FHRSIDs, on 5th May 2020.

On 1st April 2020 the following local authority merger took place. This is represented in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme open data as follows:

• Aylesbury Vale (local authority code 021)
• Chiltern (local authority code 022)
• South Buckinghamshire (local authority code 024) and
• Wycombe (local authority code 025)

...merged to become Buckinghamshire (local authority code 021).

Once the local authorities have merged their databases they will upload a single file, and establishments which were uploaded to the old accounts will change their FHRSID number.

All local authorities operating the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and Food Hygiene Information Scheme can be found at https://ratings.food.gov.uk/authorities/xml This file will also be amended when the changes have been implemented.