Customers will be better informed when eating out in Carmarthenshire, thanks to the introduction of a new scheme which tells them about the hygiene standards of food outlets.
Carmarthenshire has announced the introduction of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) across the county following inspections carried out from October 2010.
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 food safety officers from Carmarthenshire Council, to check that their hygiene standards meet legal requirements. The 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 (‘very good’).
These ratings will be available for anyone to view on the FSA website at
www.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.
Cllr Pam Palmer, Executive Board Business Manager and Executive Board Member for Public Protection and Youth Services said, ‘We have joined the FHRS 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.’