A new National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme has been launched throughout Wales this month.
The scheme is a Food Standards Agency/local authority partnership initiative which will provide consumers with at-a-glance information about hygiene standards in food businesses. This will help them make informed choices about where they buy and eat food, thereby encouraging businesses to improve their hygiene standards.
All food businesses are subject to regular unannounced inspections by Food Safety Officers to check compliance with legal requirements.
Restaurants, takeaways, cafés, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as any other business where consumers can eat or buy food, will be given a hygiene rating as part of the scheme. The rating given reflects the inspection findings and takes into account how hygienically food is handled, the condition of the structure of the premises and the confidence in the management of the business.
There are six different hygiene ratings from 0 to 5. Level 5 represents a very good level of compliance with legal requirements. Ratings for all businesses included in the scheme will be published on a national website which will be accessible to the public, and businesses will also be encouraged to display their rating at their premises.
More information on The National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme can be found on www.food.gov.uk/hygieneratings. Alternatively you can contact the Food Safety Team on 01495 235278.
