Number Four

THE Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act will help you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, and other places you eat out. Supermarkets and other food shops are also included in the scheme.

Each business is given a ‘hygiene rating’ when it is inspected by an Environmental Health Officer from the business’s local authority. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law. The score does not reflect the quality of the food or service.

Businesses in Wales which have been inspected since November 2013 have to display a sticker in a prominent place such as the front door, entrance or window which shows the hygiene rating for that business. The proprietors, if asked, should also provide information on their rating verbally. Businesses are committing an offence if they do not display the correct score. In addition to this, the score may also be found on http://ratings.food.gov.uk

Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: ‘Environmental Health Officers carry out unannounced hygiene inspections of food premises looking at the structure, food handling practices and overall management.

“They then score the business depending on what they found at that time. They will give advice and guidance on where businesses can improve if needed. There is then an opportunity for the business to implement the suggested improvements and to apply for another inspection to (hopefully) improve the score if needed.

“This is a great way to raise standards overall in food premises and allow members of the public to choose whether they would want to eat in that premises or not.

“Personally, I will not eat in premises with a score of less than 3.’

Andrew Luck, owner of Cafe at No 4, Queen Street, Carmarthen, said: “I have found the Environmental Health Officers who carry out the inspection to be very helpful and give very practical advice on ways to improve.

“The scoring system has been great for business and it is getting more obvious that people are taking more notice of it when deciding whether to eat at the business or not.”

Caption: Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones with Andrew Luck, owner of Cafe at No 4, Queen Street, Carmarthen, and his food hygiene score of 5.