Almost 50,000 restaurants, takeaways, cafes, pubs and B&Bs in Britain have never been inspected, MailOnline can today reveal.
It means one in 12 food venues are effectively operating under the radar.
Another 160,000 haven’t been checked in more than two years, our audit shows.
Experts warn shoddy hygiene practices could be going unnoticed because of the delayed probes, leaving unsuspecting customers in danger of getting ill or even dying.
Powered by the knowledge that there’s little chance of being caught, rogue premises ‘may cut corners and disregard safety measures’ entirely, one union chief claimed.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends 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.
Post-Covid backlogs and an ongoing recruitment crisis are behind the delays, which unions have branded a ‘serious public health issue’.
Councils are individually responsible for inspecting venues to check whether food is being handled, stored and served safely.
This can include retailers, workplaces, schools, hospitals and even prisons.
Mike Short, UNISON’s head of local government – a union which represents many of those working in the environmental health sections at council level, said inspection services are a ‘shadow of what they were’ because of budget cuts.
He said: ‘Low salaries for high-expertise jobs also mean councils struggle to recruit and hold on to workers.
‘Increased demands, including extra burdens caused by Brexit and the pandemic, have also added to the pressure when there are already too few staff.’
‘Without investment, training and recruitment, there could be serious dangers to public health.
‘Some food firms could cut corners and disregard safety measures if there’s little chance of inspection. That could cause serious bugs to circulate and allow ingredients causing food allergies to go unchecked.
‘Councils must be given the funding to rebuild skilled inspection teams that can protect communities and advise food businesses how to operate safely, rather than risk people falling ill or dying.’
MailOnline analysed nearly 600,000 businesses registered with local authorities because they serve food.
Over the past year, the number of venues awaiting inspection has jumped from 39,500 to 49,501. The FSA said as of Friday, November 29, the figure stood at 49,473. It said firms deemed to be in higher risk categories are prioritised for inspection.
Only Anglesey in Wales had inspected every food premise, according to the FSA statistics.
However, 246 – or 32 per cent – had not been inspected within the past two years.
All outlets in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are rated on a scale between zero and five. Two or less is considered a failure.
Low ratings have been given to premises caught with rat droppings inside food preparation areas, or storing raw or rotten meat.
In the most extreme circumstances, inspectors can order the immediate closure of a venue, which can lead to a prosecution.
In Scotland, outlets are graded on a two point scale of ‘pass’ or ‘improvement required’.
Firms with poor food standards are also at risk of closure and potential prosecutions.
The Highlands, Glasgow City, Argyll and Bute, Southampton, Epsom and Ewell, Pembrokeshire, West Lothian, Hackney, Liverpool, and South Hams have the worst inspection rates, the analysis showed – ranging from 43.02 per cent of firms uninspected in the Highlands, to 20.22 per cent in South Hams.
The figures can change on a daily basis. MailOnline’s analysis was correct as of November 27, 2024.
Katie Pettifer, Interim Chief Executive of the FSA told MailOnline: ‘Overall, food hygiene standards in the UK remain very high, but we need to invest to keep them high. We’re concerned about the decreasing number of food safety officers working in local authorities, at a time when the number of food businesses is growing.
‘Responsible businesses don’t want to make their customers sick but fewer food safety officers means businesses are not getting the same level of advice, support and expertise. It takes time to recruit and develop skilled officers, so we are asking governments across the UK, local authorities, and others, to work with us to boost the workforce for the future so that people can continue to have food they can trust.’
Of the thousands of firms awaiting inspection, there are 5,770 takeaways, 1,990 pubs, bars and nightclubs, 10,790 restaurants, cafes and canteens, along with 920 hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Some 4,900 mobile caterers, which can include food trucks and ice cream vans, have not been inspected.
Remaining venues are schools, colleges and universities as well as ‘caring premises’ such as hospitals, creches, clinics and nursing homes.
Professor Susan Jebb, FSA chair, admitted there was a problem with hiring inspectors last month.
In the organisation’s annual report, she wrote: ‘The food system across the UK continued to experience significant challenges throughout 2023, with the rising cost-of-living and inflation continuing to impact grocery bills for consumers, and food businesses grappling with labour shortages and increased supply chain costs.
‘Despite these pressures, our food standards remain high and there is much to be celebrated in the resilience of the UK’s food system.
‘I remain concerned however about the ongoing shortages in the key professionals we need to keep our food safe. Our report also highlights the need for public health policies across the UK that address the causes of poor diets.
‘No single organisation or government can ensure that all consumers have equitable access to safe, healthy and sustainable food, and we need to work in partnership to deliver the food system that consumers want and need in the future.’
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 101,000 businesses were overdue a check-up at the end of the financial year in April, the FSA said.
Local authorities have told the FSA and their Scottish counterparts that they are finding it difficult to recruit sufficient staff, including official veterinarians who are required to work in abattoirs.
The FSA warned there are insufficient students in college completing professional qualifications to work in the food standards industry as inspectors.
UKHospitality stressed that the majority of businesses in the UK have achieved a five-star rating.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘UKHospitality works closely with the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland, and publishes industry leading food hygiene guidance specifically for the hospitality sector, developed with FSA/FSS and local authorities, to ensure food businesses have the best advice available.
‘The most recent FSA data shows just over three-quarters (75.7 per cent) of food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland achieved a top rating of 5 for hygiene, and overall 97.1 per cent of businesses scored satisfactory or above. Even with re-inspection 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.’
A spokesperson for Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said: ‘We are aware that a number of food businesses across Scotland and the rest of UK have not been inspected for some time, or in the case of new businesses, at all.
‘FSS has been vocal for some time about the sustainability of the current model and the impact the lack of LA inspection resources is having on the regulation of food businesses. We have raised this issue with Scottish Ministers and it is one that we, and other stakeholders, continue to take very seriously.
‘We know the system needs reform and are working with a range of stakeholders to consider how best to deliver changes to the current system, including ensuring there is sufficient officer capacity to undertake the necessary inspections.’
According to the FSA, 97 per cent of firms receive a rating of at least 3, which is the pass grade. More than three out of four receive the top rating of 5.