New Food Hygiene Regulations Implemented

From today, businesses in Wales that serve or sell food will be required to display their new food hygiene rating at their premises.

The new law, which has been introduced by the Welsh Government means that businesses in Wales that sell or serve food will have to display their rating in an obvious place, i.e such as the front door or window. The stickers themselves are bright green and are numbered between zero and five.

However the changes will mean that businesses that currently have a low hygiene rating will also have to display their sticker in the window.

A food rating shows a customer how well the business or organisation is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law. It provides an idea of what’s going on in the kitchen, or behind closed doors, so you can choose where you eat or buy food. The food hygiene rating reflects the hygiene standards found on the date of inspection by a food safety officer from the business’s local authority

It is important to note though that the food hygiene ratings are NOT a guide to the quality of the food itself.

The statutory scheme that has been introduced will be based on the current voluntary Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, that is operated by local authorities and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Up until now it has not been necessary for businesses to display their food hygiene rating, although many places have chosen to show their four or four hygiene rating in their windows. However we have never seen a lower food rating displayed in a window!

However under the new scheme, local Councils must make sure that the scheme is enforced and make sure that ratings are being displayed correctly.

The scheme covers places where people eat out, including restaurants, takeaways, mobile caterers, cafés, hotels and pubs.  Places where people shop for food are also included, meaning that supermarkets and bakeries are also covered. Services provided by schools, hospitals, children’s nurseries and residential care homes also fall into the rating criteria.

Food outlets will be rated from zero (the lowest rating) to five (the best a food outlet can achieve), with inspections covering a number of different subjects, including how the business prepares their food and how it is cooked and stored. The condition of the building and the premises, along with how the business is managed will also fall into the rating system.

A rating of five means that a businesses hygiene standards are deemed to be ‘very good’, whereas a rating zero means that improvement is both urgent and necessary. However the Food Standards Agency say “Any business should be able to reach this top rating.

If a food outlet receives a rating of zero, then providing the improvements to hygiene have been made, businesses can request a visit from the hygiene inspector once before the date of their next planned inspection

From the end of November new stickers will be issued to businesses, and businesses will be required to display these. As well being displayed at businesses’ premises, ratings will also continue to be available on the FSA website.

Starting from November next year, the scheme will cover food manufacturers, wholesalers and transporters that supply to places where people eat and buy food.

In February Wrexham.com compiled a list of hygiene ratings from earlier this year for food outlets in Wrexham, covering the best and worst results in the town. When new ratings are released, we will compile a similar list / guide for people on the website. In Wrexham there are already a number of local businesses that display their ratings in their windows / doors.