Published: 20/02/2015
Release date: 11 February 2015. For immediate release
The last thing you want to think about before an important dinner is whether or not the place you choose takes food hygiene seriously. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme means you don’t have to.
Copeland Borough Council and The Food Standards Agency is urging people to look before they book and check the food hygiene rating.
The truth is, you can’t tell a restaurant’s hygiene standards by how clean and tidy the staff look or by how romantic the décor and ambience is.
It’s the things you can’t see – like germs spread by bad hygiene practices – that you need to consider. There’s one easy way to set your mind at rest – check the food hygiene rating. This tells you about hygiene standards in restaurants and other food businesses.
It’s really simple to check. Just go online to Copeland Council’s website and view the Google Map highlighting the hygiene ratings of each restaurant in the borough.
The ratings are determined by Copeland’s food safety officers and range from zero to five, with a five star rating meaning very good food hygiene standards.
Over 90 per cent of food businesses are rated a three or higher so there are plenty of places with good food hygiene standards you can choose from. This means you can easily avoid taking your special date to those places not meeting the grade.
Coun Peter Kane, Portfolio holder for Environmental Health, said:
“When planning a special meal out, make sure you check the hygiene ratings online and choose a restaurant that takes food hygiene seriously. This is also an important time for local food businesses as a good food hygiene rating is something to be proud of. It matters to customers so we are encouraging all businesses in Copeland to display their rating.”
To find out more about food safety, visit http://www.copeland.gov.uk/content/food-hygiene-rating-system
