New hygiene scheme opens doors for consumers

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To see the results of food hygiene inspection results in Renfrewshire to date, please visit the inspection results database.

The Scheme was developed and implemented in Scotland by the Food Standards Agency Scotland with the support of consumer organisations, industry and local authorities.

Around 3,000 establishments are taking part in the pilot and from the launch date they are being asked to display certificates prominently on the door or window of their premises, showing how well they did in their last hygiene inspection.

These certificates, based on current inspection records say “pass” or “improvement required”. An “awaiting inspection” certificate is available for new businesses.

George Paterson, director of FSA Scotland said, “this scheme is designed to give consumers clear information that is easy to understand and which helps them make informed choices about the hygiene standards in the outlets in their area.

“Our Scottish Consumer Attitudes Survey 2005 showed that many people were concerned about hygiene in food outlets. As such, it makes sense for businesses to put customers and food hygiene at the top of their agenda. The more confident customers are in a business’s food hygiene, the more likely they are to come back!

“We hope this new scheme will increase consumer confidence and help people make informed choices about where they eat or buy their food.”

Discussions with stakeholders and Freedom of Information legislation have prompted the Agency to consider developing a UK-wide initiative. Two pilots will also run in England from early 2007. All three will be evaluated in due course.

Bert Wilson, Renfrewshire Council’s head of regulatory services said: “I am delighted that Renfrewshire leading the way in this new campaign. I am sure that both residents of Renfrewshire and visitors to the area like the fact that they can see how well an establishment did in its last hygiene inspection. It gives consumers greater confidence and encourages the establishments to keep on their toes as they know their results will be on display for all their customers to see".

Caffe Lusso, in Paisley is one of the businesses to take part in the pilot scheme in Renfrewshire. The owner of Caffe Lusso, Stephen Fulton said,“I think this is a good idea. We at Caffe Lusso work very hard to maintain high standards of hygiene and have procedures in place to ensure that our food is produced safely and to a high quality. Anything which makes food safer and gives customers more information to make choices about where they eat must be a good thing".



Press release: Monday 6 November 2006