Making our World a Safer Place to Eat
"I have to follow a completely gluten-free diet"
"Since my pregnancy I've really started watching what I eat"
"My partner has more than one food allergy"
"We care about the food our children eat"
"We want to know our favourite restaurant is keeping its standards up"
"We're both following a strictly vegan diet"
"We're on holiday, so we don't know the best places"
"I have strict dietary requirements"
What is Safe to Trade?
Everyone has a right to expect the very best food standards; for people’s health, for the well-being of our communities and to reduce the burden on the NHS freeing up much-needed resources. Safe to Trade is here to make that change.
Safe to Trade is the first voluntary, third-party assurance programme for the UK hospitality sector designed to protect and care for the public. It’s there to drive the highest standards and protect people’s health.
It helps everyone make informed decisions about where to eat, and at the same time, it helps businesses build trust and deliver amazing experiences for their consumers. By choosing to eat out in places that are ‘Safe to Trade’ certified, you are protecting the health of yourself and your family and helping to make the world a safer place to eat.
Did you know...
Over 50% of UK consumers have had food poisoning in the last 5 years
Safe to Trade helps protect consumers by ensuring businesses meet rigorous safety standards.
78% of people check hygiene ratings before eating out or ordering takeaway
Displaying Safe to Trade certification builds trust and boosts customer confidence.
The most common food safety failure is missing date labels on opened food
17% of all audit non-conformances relate to poor date coding and stock rotation.
That’s real data driving real improvements in food safety.
Vulnerable groups—like pregnant individuals and those with allergies—rely on visible safety signals
Safe to Trade provides the assurance they need to dine with confidence.
Local authority food hygiene inspections have dropped by 19% since 2013
Safe to Trade fills the gap with independent, unannounced audits by qualified professionals.
600 million people globally suffer foodborne illness each year
Safe to Trade is part of the solution—making our world a safer place to eat.
82% of Safe to Trade certified businesses hold an FHRS rating of 5 or FHIS Pass
That’s top-tier food safety performance, verified.
Consumers feel most confident when inspections are recent—within the last year
Safe to Trade’s ongoing verification model delivers real-time reassurance.
Some key facts about How Safe to Trade works
The Technical and Governance Committee provide independent technical oversight of the performance and development of the Safe to Trade Standard and Protocol. They scan for regulatory changes, consumer feedback, and industry trends to ensure relevance and rigour. Where specialist expertise and focus technical input is required they commission and receive outputs from Technical Working Groups. The committee is also responsible for commissioning and receiving outputs from stakeholder engagement relating to Standards and Protocols.
That means they’re independently assessed for competence, impartiality, and reliability—just like Safe to Trade itself.
No warning, no shortcuts—just real, rigorous checks.
Imminent risks must be resolved within 48 hours, and all issues within 30 days.
It’s a live trust signal for consumers and regulators alike.
Bias and conflicts of interest are actively managed to protect the integrity of the scheme.
These audits ensure consistent quality and compliance across the board.
Where locations are Safe to Trade approved, local authorities are required to inspect the location in accordance with the plan, which defines the areas they should focus on based on insights from the Programme.
Want to find out more, or get involved?
