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Food hygiene boost for Ryedale residents
Ryedale residents look
set to benefit from a scheme which encourages improvements in food
safety and hygiene standards for local businesses.
From April 2012 all local food businesses in Ryedale will be
part of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) – aimed at making it
easier for consumers to choose places with good hygiene standards
when they are eating out or shopping for food .
The scheme – developed by the Food Standards Agency and
implemented by Environmental Health Officers from Ryedale District
Council – will rate the hygiene standards of food outlets and
publish them on-line for all residents to see at www.food.gov.uk/ratings .
The food business will be given a sticker and certificate and
encouraged to display these at the entrance to their premises. This
means that their customers can easily see them and decide if they
want to go in.
Funding for the scheme has come from the Food Standards
Agency with more than 180 local authorities throughout the UK now
taking part in the scheme.
Cllr Linda Cowling, Chairman of Ryedale District Council's
Commissioning Board, said: "For consumers the scheme will help them
make informed choices about where to eat or shop for food and they
will be able to easily compare one business with another within
their own area and throughout the country.
"For businesses the scheme will provide an incentive to improve
standards and do better than their competitors, with any
improvements they need to make to get a higher rating no more than
is already required of them by law."
In order to make sure that the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is
fair to businesses a number of safeguards have been incorporated.
These include an appeal procedure, a right of reply and an
opportunity to request a re-visit when improvements have been
made.
Catriona Stewart, Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Team at the
FSA said:" We are encouraging as many local authorities as possible
to run the FHRS so it's great news that Ryedale District Council is
the latest to announce their intention to use it. Around one
million people suffer from food poisoning every year and our aim in
introducing the scheme is to reduce this. The ratings will give
consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they
eat out or behind the scenes at the places they shop, before they
make their decision about which place they prefer to visit."
A series of drop in sessions for Ryedale's food businesses will
be held in February where Environmental Health Officers will be
available to discuss the scheme and answer questions.
These are:
Monday February 6: 9am -7pm: Milton Rooms, Malton
Tuesday February 7: 9am – 7pm: Memorial Hall, Pickering
Wednesday February 8: 9am – 7pm: Helmsley Town Hall
Thursday February 9: 9am – 7pm: Kirkbymoorside Memorial
Hall.