Five star award scheme to raise food standards

From next summer, North Norfolk District Council will publish businesses’ food hygiene ratings to drive up standards in the catering industry and give customers better information about the places they eat in.

By the end of June 2009, North Norfolk’s catering businesses — there are about 700 — will be given a rating out of five stars after their food hygiene inspection, to show how well they comply with food safety legislation.

All star ratings will be published on the Council’s website, and businesses will also be able to show off their ratings by displaying a certificate and/or window sticker showing the number of stars received.

NNDC Strategic Director Nick Baker said: “Around 200 local authorities in England already have a scheme like this, and there is clear evidence that this kind of scheme drives up standards, and therefore benefits consumers, businesses and the local economy.”

He explained: “Customers get the information in a clear and simple way, food businesses that achieve high standards get the recognition they deserve, and the scheme encourages businesses that are less successful with food hygiene to make improvements for the sake of their customers’ health and their own viability.”

Norwich City Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council already operate a five-star rating scheme, with two other Norfolk councils committed to introducing one.

Furthermore, of those 200 English authorities running a rating scheme, around 85 per cent use a five-star rating and those have agreed to standardise their schemes (so the ratings mean the same thing for each council and food business) in the next year or two.

Businesses and members of the public are now being asked for their views on how the scheme for awarding and publishing food hygiene star ratings could work in North Norfolk.

Food businesses that are due an inspection in the next three months will be given a questionnaire with their hygiene report after the inspection, and asked to return it to share their opinions of the proposals.

Anyone else who wishes to comment can download the questionnaire from North Norfolk District Council’s website, www.northnorfolk.org, or contact the Commercial Team on 01263 516008 and ask for a questionnaire to be sent to them.

Competed questionnaires should be returned to the Council by 14 March, 2009.

Mr Baker said: “North Norfolk’s food businesses maintain a very high standard of food hygiene, in general, and we think this scheme will enhance the reputation of those businesses, and the District as a whole, even further. I think it’s fair to say we have a very good relationship with food businesses, even those we need to work with to improve standards, and their views will be welcome and valuable.”