Two types of scores on the food hygiene doors
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board last week failed to agree on a single Scores on the Doors hygiene rating system scheme for the whole of the UK, as predicted by Food Manufacture. Instead it approved two different systems: one for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, based on a six-tier hygiene rating, and a separate approach for Scotland, based on a two-tier pass/fail system.
The news will be unwelcome to many food business operators, particularly supermarkets, which had pressed for a more consistent UK-wide approach based on pass/fail. Some in the sector also fear that because the system is voluntary, those catering outlets with a lower rating would not display scores prominently as requested, fearing they would lose business to other outlets nearby with higher ratings.
The schemes will cover all businesses that supply food directly to consumers, including supermarkets, restaurants, cafés and takeaways.
The six-tier scheme will be based on the different standards of food hygiene found by the local authority officials when they undertake a hygiene inspection. A decision will be made on the type of symbols that should be used to represent these tiers following further consumer research, the FSA said.
However, the FSA also announced that a new UK steering group would be set up to manage the migration towards this national scheme.
Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement at the FSA, said: “Consumers and many local authorities have told us that they support systems that show a range of hygiene standards. Some businesses who responded to our consultation also supported a progressive scale but most had concerns about this approach.”
