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Listen to this siteMonday 7 June 2010
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The Food Standards Agency has published the results of independent consumer research about how to ensure the national food hygiene rating scheme (known as 'Scores on the Doors') is easy to understand and use.
The full report can be found at the link towards the end of this page.
The national scheme, which will start to be rolled out in the autumn, is a joint Agency and local authority initiative that will provide consumers with information about standards of food hygiene in restaurants, shops, bars and cafés, to help consumers choose where to buy food or eat out.
Sarah Appleby, Head of Enforcement at the Food Standards Agency, said: 'It’s tremendous that we are getting close to rolling out a national food hygiene rating scheme. Publishing individual hygiene ratings for cafés, shops and restaurants will not only give diners and shoppers information to help them choose the safest place to buy food, but will also, over time, drive up standards and help prevent food poisoning.
Food poisoning is not only unpleasant but can be dangerous, and is estimated to cost the economy about £1.5 billion each year.'
The research was carried out to help the Agency decide how best to represent the scheme to consumers in terms of the name, and the symbols and words that should be used to describe the six different hygiene ratings. The main findings of the research were:
The Agency is establishing a national food hygiene rating scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland for hygiene standards in food business establishments. A different scheme is being rolled out in Scotland.
The scheme aims to provide consumers with ‘at a glance’ information about the hygiene standards found by local authority officers at food business establishments when they carry out routine food hygiene inspections. The primary purpose is to allow consumers to make informed choices about where they eat or buy food and, through this, to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.
The scheme is based on six different ratings (sometimes described as ‘six tiers’) reflecting the range of standards that may be found. The highest rating equates to compliance with the requirements of food hygiene legislation. The scheme being rolled out in Scotland is based on a two-tier system: ‘Pass’ and ‘Improvement Required’.
The creation of the national scheme aims to provide clarity for consumers and consistency for businesses.
More information can be found at the link below.
Download pdf
(pdf 1MB) Food Hygiene Rating Schemes See how well a food business has done on its last inspection: a food hygiene rating information scheme for consumers (External) Get Adobe Acrobat reader You may need the free Acrobat Reader to view a pdfFind out about our different types of content