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30/04/2007 - Scores on the doors ratings system
ALL SIX district councils in Cumbria will soon be joining a major web-based information campaign to promote food safety.
From June 11, all six councils will load information about their food hygiene inspections onto a national Scores on the Doors website aimed at promoting good practice within the food industry.
From that date, anyone will be able to log onto the website and find out how Cumbria’s food business operators rate compared to their competitors.
Scores on the Doors takes information provided by local authority environmental health units to provide an ‘at a glance’ guide to establishments within different areas.
Businesses that will feature include hotels, pubs, takeaway food providers and shops such as bakers and butchers.
Each business is given a rating by its local authority based on food hygiene inspections carried out by environmental health officers.
A star rating system is being introduced whereby businesses are graded against three key criteria – food hygiene compliance, structural compliance and confidence in management.
The ratings are:
5-star – Excellent;
4-star – Very good;
3-star – Good;
2-star – Fair;
1-star – Poor;
0-stars – Major improvements required.
People will be able to access the website at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk or via links from their local council’s website. A rating certificate will also be issued to businesses for display on their premises.
All information to be published is in line with requirements made under the Freedom of Information Act, which came into force on January 1, 2005.
Similar schemes have existed in the United States and Canada for over 10 years and many authorities there have been able to encourage improvements in food safety standards by making the results of inspection available on the Internet.
The rating system has also been adopted by a small number of local authorities elsewhere in the UK.
Cumbria Food Liaison Group spokesman David Copeland said: “Making results of hygiene inspections public, in an easy to follow style, has led to real improvements in food hygiene elsewhere in the country – rewarding businesses with high standards and encouraging others to raise their game.”
For further details, members of the public can contact their local council’s environmental health unit.
Contact details:
Allerdale Borough Council …. environmental.health@allerdale.gov.uk …. 01900 702590;
Barrow Borough Council …. envhealth@barrowbc.gov.uk …. 01229 876381;
Carlisle City Council ….foodandsafety@carlisle.gov.uk ….01228 817336;
Copeland Borough Council …. envhealth@copelandbc.gov.uk…. 01946 598347;
Eden District Council …. env.health@eden.gov.uk …. 01768 212491;
South Lakeland District Council …. foodandsafety@southlakeland.gov.uk …. 01539 733333.
ENDS
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