Questions restaurants and diners ask us most.
Straight answers about what FTA is, what the pilot involves, and what FTA is not.
Is FTA a government authority?+
No. FTA is an independent public food safety intelligence platform. It is not a government authority, council, or regulator, and it does not act on behalf of one.
Does FTA inspect restaurants?+
No. FTA does not carry out food hygiene inspections. It organizes publicly available information — such as inspection references — alongside restaurant-submitted transparency records.
Does FTA issue official ratings or approvals?+
No. FTA does not issue official ratings, certifications, or approvals. Public safety indicators shown on a profile summarize available records for context; they are not an FTA-issued rating and restaurants are not "approved by FTA."
What is a restaurant transparency profile?+
A structured page for a restaurant that presents hygiene visibility, public safety indicators, timeline records, and — where available — links to supporting evidence, so customers and the restaurant itself can review the same information.
What does the pilot involve?+
Restaurants request pilot access, FTA reviews the request, and approved restaurants receive controlled owner access to set up and maintain their own transparency profile, including timeline updates and evidence links.
What kind of information appears in the demo?+
The public demo profile uses illustrative, non-live sample data — a fictional restaurant, dates, and records — to show how a real pilot profile is structured. It does not represent an actual, currently operating restaurant.
Can restaurants review their profile information?+
Yes. Pilot restaurants get owner access to review and update their own transparency profile. Structured submissions are reviewed by FTA before anything is published publicly.
Is the platform live yet?+
FTA is currently in a controlled pilot phase. A small number of restaurants are onboarded through a reviewed request process; open, public self-service sign-up is not yet available.
Is FTA only for UK restaurants?+
The current pilot is focused on UK restaurants. The underlying platform is not limited to any single country, and this may expand as the pilot develops.
How can a restaurant join the pilot?+
Submit a pilot access request with your restaurant and contact details. FTA reviews each request before enabling owner access or linking a public profile.
Still have questions?
Email fta-team@foodtransparencyapp.com or request pilot access to talk it through directly.