Conwy and Denbighshire Councils are signing-up to the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme that will be rolled out later in 2010.
The food safety teams at these neighbouring Councils are working together on the project to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards and to help consumers make informed choices.
The National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (Scores on the Doors) is a UK-wide scheme being developed between the Food Standards Agency (FSA), food businesses, local authorities and other related organisations.
The chief purpose of the Scores on the Doors scheme is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places in which they eat out and from which they purchase food, and through this, to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.
Restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as other businesses where consumers can eat or buy food, will be given a hygiene rating as part of the scheme.
There are six different hygiene ratings – the top one represents a very good level of compliance with legal requirements. Businesses across the country will be rated consistently by participating Local Authorities, ensuring that they are compared fairly. All local authorities in Wales are intending to take part in the scheme.
All ratings will be published on a national website where consumers can see them, and businesses will also be encouraged to display them at their premises – so called ‘Scores on the Doors’.
Matthew Frankcom, Business Enforcement Manager at Conwy County Borough Council said, “We believe this scheme will provide businesses with an incentive to improve standards and do better than their competitors – good food hygiene ratings will be good for business whilst poor food hygiene ratings may make their customers think twice.”
Emlyn Jones, Food Health and Safety Manager, Denbighshire County Council said, “It will also help consumers to decide where to eat or buy food and they will be able to easily compare one business with another locally and further afield.”
In preparation for the scheme the food safety teams at Conwy and Denbighshire Councils will be contacting the local trade over the next few weeks to check that the details they currently hold for food businesses are accurate and up-to-date.
Food businesses can contact Conwy Food Safety Team on (01492) 575283 or Denbighshire Food Safety Team on (01824) 712585 for more information on the scheme or visit www.food.gov.uk
