Scores on the doors and allergen rules: what's coming for food businesses

Food hygiene ratings

• Displaying a food hygiene rating is already the law in Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in England.
• The Food Standards Agency's Future of Food Regulation programme proposes compulsory display online across the UK, and at the premises in England. Its September 2026 board paper plans a public consultation from July to September 2027, with proposals going to ministers around January 2028.
• An FSA audit published in June 2026 found ratings on display at 70% of businesses in England, against 92% in Northern Ireland and 95% in Wales. Only 9% of English business websites showed their rating.

Allergens

• Since March 2025, FSA best-practice guidance has said written allergen information should always be available for food that is not prepacked, backed up by a conversation with staff. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland this is guidance, not law.
• The FSA's board backed making written allergen information a legal requirement in December 2023, as the Owen's Law campaign asks. As of autumn 2026 it had not become law.
• For schools, new statutory allergy guidance, known as Benedict's Law, was published in September 2026. It covers allergy policies, staff training and spare adrenaline pens.

Planning a refurbishment?

Our view: a front-of-house refit is a good moment to decide where the rating and the allergen information will sit, by the entrance and at the counter where guests order. Wipe-clean surfaces help with day-to-day hygiene too: laminate table tops and faux leather upholstery are made for busy service.

This is a summary, not legal advice. The Food Standards Agency and your local authority's food team are the places to check what applies to you.