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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is marking 10 years of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). The latest figures show that 85% of food premises in the district have been awarded the highest possible rating of 5, while 98.4% have achieved a rating of 3 or above. Council environmental health staff joined colleagues and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) at a special event at Stormont, to mark the milestone.
The event recognised the contribution of district councils, environmental health officers and food businesses in delivering the scheme and supporting high standards of food hygiene in the north. Council environmental health professionals attended along with colleagues from other councils in Northern Ireland.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna said: “It is encouraging to see the outstanding standards being achieved by food businesses right across our district. The fact that 85% of premises have attained the highest rating of 5 and more than 98% have achieved a rating of 3 or above reflects the dedication, professionalism and hard work of our local food operators.
“This scheme has played an important role in raising standards, supporting businesses and giving consumers confidence in our hospitality and food industry and the places where we shop.”
The FHRS is a partnership programme run by the FSA and local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It gives consumers clear and easy-to-understand information about the hygiene standards found at food businesses during inspections carried out by Environmental Health Officers. Ratings range from 0, which indicates that urgent improvement is necessary, to 5, which signifies very good compliance with food hygiene requirements.
Over the past decade, the scheme has helped businesses in the district improve hygiene standards, increased transparency for consumers and provided confidence when choosing where to eat, shop or order food. Adopting food hygiene and safety measures has benefits beyond compliance, helping to safeguard public health and develop a culture of responsibility and sustainability.
Cllr Hanna added: “The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is about more than a sticker in a window. It gives consumers confidence by providing clear information about food hygiene standards and highlights the important work environmental health officers do to help protect public health.
“Over the past 10 years, mandatory display has made food hygiene ratings more visible to customers and has encouraged businesses to achieve and maintain high standards. This milestone provides an opportunity to recognise the efforts of both food businesses and our environmental health officers in delivering safer food for everyone.”
