Meeting details The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme EH

[Meeting details] The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme [EH Team member] [Local Authority name] [Local Authority address] ( : [relevant telephone number] Email: [relevant email address]

What will this presentation cover? • • What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? Why did we introduce the scheme? How is the scheme integrated with our statutory food law regulatory service? What support does the Food Standards Agency provide? What’s in it for local people and visitors? What’s in it for local businesses? What’s next for the scheme?

What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? • Local authority/Food Standards Agency partnership initiative for England, Wales and Northern Ireland • Helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them information about the hygiene standards in food premises at the time they are inspected • Transparency and consumer choice will drive improvements

What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? • Standards found at the time of inspection are rated on a scale from ‘ 0’ at the bottom to ‘ 5’ at the top • Simple words are used to describe each rating • Ratings are given to places where consumers eat out or away from home, e. g. restaurants, takeaways, hospitals, schools • Ratings are given to places where consumers shop for food, e. g. supermarkets, bakeries

What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? • Look them up at www. food. gov. uk/ratings • Check them on the move via free mobile phone apps

Why did we introduce the scheme? • • Improved public health protection reduce the incidence of foodborne illness Reduce the cost to the economy

How is the scheme integrated with our statutory food law regulatory service? • • • Additional resources needed are minimal as it’s based around the planned intervention programme Meets our obligations to be open and transparent Provides an effective and more sustainable alternative to formal and costly enforcement action Fewer inspections for highly performing businesses with focus on poor performers FSA provide support including financial support Scheme will drive market competition and contribute to business growth locally

How is the scheme integrated with our statutory food law regulatory service?

What support does the FSA provide? • • • Free IT platform for publishing ratings • • Priorities Fund • • • ‘Brand Standard’ guidance Certificates and stickers for businesses Template materials for use with businesses and consumers Consistency training for local authority food safety officers Communications Toolkit Support for local promotion and national promotional activities

What support does the FSA provide?

FSA’s ‘Where are you really eating out? ’ campaign

What’s in it for local people and visitors? • Research shows that food hygiene when eating out and food poisoning are the main concerns that people have about food safety • Providing local residents and visitors with important information about hygiene standards in local businesses empowers then to make informed choices about where to eat out or shop for food • Telling people about hygiene standards is a very effective way of improving public health protection

What’s in it for local businesses? • • All businesses can achieve the top rating • • • Good food hygiene is good for business. • It will help improve consumer confidence in the market and drive business growth It includes safeguards to ensure fair and equitable treatment Good food hygiene is good for profits Feedback from businesses has been generally very positive

What’s next for the scheme? • Mandatory display of ratings at premises in Wales from late 2013.

What’s next for the scheme? • Parallel legislation Northern Ireland? • What about England – focus increasing voluntary display first?

Further Information and questions • Further Information: - from Food Safety Team [Officer’s name and telephone number] - on Food Standards Agency website at: www. food. gov. uk/hygieneratings