The SCOFF is a quick and simple screening tool for eating disorders (EDs), intended for use by those who are not specialists in the field. The purpose of the present study is to explore the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the instrument. An Italian translation of the SCOFF was administered, together with a part of the Italian version of the Eating Disorders Inventory‐3, to the following: (i) a sample of psychiatric patients diagnosed with ED according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; (ii) a sample of female psychiatric controls with no ED symptoms; and (iii) a sample of female normal controls without EDs from the general population. Results suggest that the Italian version of the SCOFF provides a reliable and valid tool for screening EDs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.