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Recent research has revealed that 16 stores across the UK have scored zero on their food hygiene inspections.

The analysis, carried out by the Daily Mail, shows while not all the stores in the list span convenience, the worrying results could lower customer perceptions of the sector with major supermarket chains also featuring heavily in the table.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) data analysed by the newspaper shows there are 287 supermarkets which are so dirty they failed their latest published food hygiene inspections.

According to data kept by the FSA, four of the zero offenders were in Birmingham. Meanwhile, Brent and Plymouth had two each, as well as Waltham Forest - although these were supermarkets. The remaining zero-rated stores were in Charnwood, Harrow, Hull City, Kingston-upon-Thames, Sandwell and Wigan.

Businesses which score two or below out of five have not reached the minimum standards set by the FSA and ‘some’ improvement is necessary, it advises.

Anything from rotting food to rodent droppings can be found at low scoring stores, as well as errors in food storage. In Scotland things are slightly different, with venues graded on a simple pass or fail basis - but 28 businesses there were rated as ‘improvement required’.

Local authorities are responsible for inspecting businesses in their area at least once every two years, and the information on the FSA’s database can change daily. It has previously called for increased investment by local authorities in their environmental health departments.

Despite a number of stores not having been inspected for over two years, according to the data, information from the FSA states that if a store is given a low rating, it must make “urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards.”

What happens if you get a low food hygiene inspection score?

The local authority food safety officer has several options if a store is not meeting demands. They can seize any foods deemed unfit for consumption, write a letter outlining any issues found, serve a formal legal notice setting out what must be done and forbid a store from using specific equipment or premises. Most significantly, it can also go on to recommend a prosecution. They will also give advice and guidance to make sure any suggested improvements are made.

If the officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and when food may be unsafe to eat, they must act to protect consumers. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to reopen. They will also advise on how quickly these improvements must be made, and this will depend on the type of issue needing to be addressed.