A ‘Scores on the Doors’ hygiene rating scheme should be introduced in Carmarthenshire.
That is the recommendation that will be put to the next meeting of the county council’s executive board.
Around half of local authorities in the UK operate local food hygiene schemes, and the Food Standards Agency has now introduced a national scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is asking each local authority to support it.
The scheme is designed to provide consumers with information about the hygiene standards of food premises from the results of inspections. The star rating given to a food business reflects those findings.
Its purpose is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places where they eat, or from which they purchase food, encouraging businesses to improve their hygiene standards. The national scheme also aims to help reduce food borne illnesses.
Head of public protection Philip Davies said: “Restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as any other businesses where consumers can buy or eat 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 and it is a target that is achievable by all businesses. Ratings for all businesses included in the scheme will be published on a national website and businesses will be encouraged to display them at their premises.”
