Welshpool food to be rated

Food outlets in the Welshpool area will receive a hygiene rating following their next inspection by Powys County Council.

 

The council is introducing the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) across the county, which will better inform customers of the hygiene standards of food outlets.

 

This national scheme, developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities, provides information on food hygiene standards to help people to choose where to eat out or shop for food.

 

Food outlets, such as restaurants, takeaways and pubs, are inspected by the council’s food safety officers to check that their hygiene standards meet legal requirements.

 

From today, hygiene standards found at these inspections are rated on a scale ranging from zero at the bottom, which means ‘urgent improvement necessary’, to a top rating of five, which means very good.

 

These ratings will be available for anyone to view on the FSA website at food.gov.uk/ratings and the food business will be given a sticker and certificate and encouraged to display these at the entrance to their premises. This means that their customers can easily see them and decide if they want to go in.

 

Steve Clinton, the council’s Public Protection Manager, said: “We have introduced the FHRS in Powys as we can see the benefits for local food businesses and the people that eat and shop in them. The public will be able to use the ratings when deciding which outlets to visit and we hope that food companies will recognise that displaying a good hygiene rating is good for business. When customers expect to see a rating, there is a real incentive for food businesses to seek to make improvements to their hygiene standards.”