Scores on the Doors Scheme

Introducing the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in Teignbridge

Briefing note for Members, Portfolio Holders, Heads of Service and Council Leaders

What is the purpose of this briefing note?

• Support from elected Members is being sought for Teignbridge District Council to

introduce the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

• This note provides information about the scheme – it explains in brief what the scheme

is, how it has been developed and when it will be rolled out, why it should be introduced

in Teignbridge, what support the Food Standards Agency will provide, what the benefits

are for local consumers and for local businesses, and the potential impact on

Teignbridge District Council resources.

What is the national food hygiene rating scheme?

• The scheme, which is for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is a local authority/Food

Standards Agency partnership initiative.

• It is designed to provide consumers with information about hygiene standards in food

premises at the time they are inspected to check compliance with legal requirements –

the rating given reflects the inspection findings.

• Its purpose is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places where

they eat out or from which they purchase food thereby encouraging businesses to

improve their hygiene standards.

• Restaurants, takeaways, cafés, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other

retail food outlets, as well as any other business where consumers can eat or buy food,

will be given a hygiene rating as part of the scheme.

• There are six different hygiene ratings - the top one represents a very good level of

compliance with legal requirements so that all businesses can achieve this - and ratings

for all businesses included in the scheme will be published on a national website, and

businesses will be encouraged to display them at their premises.

How has the scheme been developed and when will it be rolled out?

• The scheme is being developed by the Food Standards Agency on the basis of advice

and guidance from a UK-wide Stakeholder Group which includes local authority,

(including LACORS and CIEH) consumer and food industry representatives, as well as

officials from the Agency, the Better Regulation Executive and the Local Better

Regulation Office.

• The main elements of the framework that will underpin the scheme have now been

agreed – which businesses are included, how the ratings are calculated, and the

safeguards to ensure businesses are treated fairly (an appeal process, a right to reply

opportunity and a mechanism to request a new rating when improvements have been

made).

• The other elements of the scheme (the symbols and descriptors to be used for the

different ratings and the procedures for ensuring the scheme is operated consistently

within and across local authorities), and the national database and website providing

consumers with a single point of access to ratings for all businesses covered by the

scheme, are now being developed and the scheme should be ready to go live in July or

August this year.

• Although there is still work to be done, local authorities can start to prepare now so that

they are ready to launch the scheme when all the elements are in place.

• It is voluntary for local authorities to operate the scheme so it is likely that different

authorities will join at different times.

Why should Teignbridge District Council introduce the national scheme?

• Around half of local authorities across the UK operate a range of different ‘local’ food

hygiene rating schemes and their experience suggests that these schemes are

successful in encouraging businesses in their areas to improve hygiene standards.

• The national scheme aims to continue this and to contribute to reducing foodborne

illness, and by having a single scheme operating in England, Wales and Northern

Ireland will help to ensure consistency for businesses and clarity for consumers across

local authority boundaries.

How will the Food Standards Agency support the scheme?

• The Agency is providing detailed guidance on implementation and operation of the

scheme, promotional and marketing materials (including certificate templates, with

branded certificate paper and stickers, and artwork for posters/adverts/leaflets etc.).

• It is organising and funding consistency training for local authority food safety officers,

and providing the associated training materials.

• It is funding the development of the national database and website and the associated

IT assistance/training required for local authorities to link to this so there will be no IT

set-up or on-going subscription costs for participating authorities.

• Two local authority environmental health officers have been seconded to the Agency to

provide guidance and advice to ‘early adopters’ of the scheme, and an Early Adopters

Group will be set up to provide a forum for identifying and discussing practical issues

associated with implementing the scheme.

• Grant funding has been provided in 2009/10 to help local authorities to undertake the

necessary preparatory activities for operating the scheme and it is hoped that further

funding will be available in 2010/11.

• The Agency will promote the scheme on a national basis to raise awareness among

consumers and businesses once a sufficient number of local authorities have formally

adopted and started to operate the scheme – in the interim the Agency will support local

authorities to promote the scheme locally.

What are the benefits to local consumers and businesses?

• For consumers, the scheme will help them make informed choices about where to eat or

buy food and they will be able to easily compare one business with another within their

own area and more widely.

• For businesses, the scheme will provide an incentive to improve standards and do better

than their competitors – good food hygiene ratings will be good for business whilst poor

food hygiene ratings may make their customers think twice – any improvements they

need to make to get a higher rating are no more than is already required of them by law.

What are the resource implications for the Food and Health & Safety Team?

• The scheme is based around the planned food hygiene intervention programme in order

to minimise any burdens on the Food and Health & Safety Team.

• Given the support being provided by the Food Standards Agency – see above - the setup

and on-going costs are minimised.

• The main impact on resources is likely to result from operation of the mechanism that

allows businesses to request a new rating when improvements have been made (this

safeguard is essential to ensuring that the scheme is legally robust) as re-rating visits

are outside the planned intervention programme – the Agency is aware of this and is

committed to keeping this under close review and to revising the procedure as

necessary to ensure that it does not compromise public health protection.

Further information can be obtained from:

Food Standards Agency:

Website: www.food.gov.uk/safereating/hyg/scoresonthedoors/

Environmental Health Food and Health & Safety Team:

Tel: 01626 215424/215409

Email: food&safety@teignbridge.gov.uk

Teignbridge District Council Website

The following information is available from the Website using the web address below:

• Scores on the Doors article

• FSA Scores on the Doors ‘Good Hygiene Leaflet’ leaflet

• Food Standard Agency Scores on the Doors FAQ’s

http://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12212

The Bridge

An information article and downloads will shortly be available on the Environment and

Safety Services pages.

F&DD Members

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