The Food Standards Agency is consulting on a scheme to help consumers know at a glance how well their local takeaway or restaurant has done in food safety inspections.
Scores on the Doors is a scheme whereby food businesses are given a score to show the hygiene standards found in their premises during inspections by local authority enforcement officers to check that they are complying with legal requirements. Each food outlet may display the score on its door or window so the public can clearly see how well the establishment has done. Details would also be available on the local authority’s website.
Various ‘scores on the doors’ schemes have been piloted across in various towns – Swansea and Wrexham for example and Reading with its snappily named Food Safety Star Rating Scheme . Now the FSA is consulting with these pilots to develop a UK-wide scheme. The existing schemes, while aiding the consumer, have also encouraged food businesses to raise their hygiene standards. The Scores on The Doors website currently lists 77 council ratings (with another 12 ‘coming soon’) all fully searchable.
