First anniversary for food hygiene rating scheme

Released on 13 June 2012

Surrey Heath Borough Council launched the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme a year ago and over the last 12 months many eateries have risen to the challenge and bettered their original scores.

Eighty per cent of the food businesses in Surrey Heath currently have a rating of four or five on their hygiene standards when a food hygiene inspection is carried out by Surrey Heath Borough Council.

Koon Wah Wan opened New China, Chinese Takeaway in Bagshot High Street 19 years ago. He has recently improved his rating and has achieved the top rating of five.

Mr Wan says: "I am of course very proud of this achievement but it does not stop there, it's something you have to maintain all the time and we intend to."

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

Restaurants, takeaways and pubs are all inspected by the council's food safety officers, to check their hygiene standards meet legal requirements. The hygiene standards found at these inspections are then rated on a scale ranging from the top ranking of five which represents very good to zero which shows urgent improvement is found to be necessary.

Food businesses are also given a sticker and certificate showing their rating which they are encouraged to display in their shop windows.

Ratings are available to view on the FSA website: www.food.gov.uk/ratings Opens in a new window

Councillor Vivienne Chapman, Surrey Heath Borough Council's portfolio holder for Community says: "Launched a year ago, it's encouraging to see the response to the national rating scheme as we mark its first anniversary. It's particularly pleasing to see that many business operators have a positive view of the scheme and see it as a way to help customers make informed choices about where to buy their food or eat out."