Scores on the Doors goes national

17 November 2011

South Lakeland District Council will be transferring to a National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (nFHRS) from April 2012.  Like the existing Scores on the Doors scheme, it will help consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them information about hygiene standards. 

The nFHRS covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is a key part of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) aim to improve food safety nationally. 

Restaurants, takeaways, pubs, sandwich shops, hotels, supermarkets and cafes in South Lakeland will become part of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which involves six hygiene ratings on a simple numerical scale ranging from ‘0’ to ‘5’. 

A zero rating would represent poor standards and mean improvement was necessary while a rating of five would be at the top and mean very good. 

Members of the public will be able to access ratings at food.gov.uk/ratings and businesses will be encouraged to display stickers and certificates showing the rating at their premises. 

The current Scores on the Doors scheme operated by SLDC and other local authority schemes vary in a number of ways.  Following a major public consultation in 2008, consumers and food businesses told the FSA that they wanted a single national scheme.  

Councillor Clare Feeney-Johnson, portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: “I think it is great news for food businesses and consumers that SLDC will become part of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.  This will not affect the majority of food businesses in South Lakeland, which already have a professional attitude towards good environmental health practices. The only businesses which need to be concerned are those who know their standards are not the best they could be.” 

SLDC are already contacting businesses to gather information that will help streamline the process.  All food businesses are being urged to return the questionnaire as soon as possible so they can be rated before 1 April 2012.  For more information, please contact the Food Safety Team on 0845 050 4434. 

The nFHRS scheme was launched in November 2010, is backed by the Government and is aiming to be up and running in all local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in time for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.