English Businesses Will Have To Display Food Hygiene Rating

New legislation is set to be introduced that makes it compulsory for food businesses in England to display their food hygiene ratings.

At present, this is the case in Wales and Northern Ireland, but the rules are different in England. The Northern Echo reported on the change, which has been championed by Richmond MP Rishi Sunak.

He recently contacted health minister Steve Brine to request an update on the progress of this change, and was informed that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is building a strong case for the legislation change. The intention is for this to come into force in 2020.

The news provider revealed that since it became mandatory for food businesses to display their hygiene rating in Wales, there has been a 21 per cent increase in the number of businesses with the highest rating of five.

Mr Sunak commented: “Public display of ratings is a strong incentive for business owners to adopt the very highest standards, which in turn will reduce incidences of food poisoning and other infections linked to poor food hygiene.”

To make sure your business is operating to the highest standards, work with food hygiene training specialists to give your staff the detailed training they need.

Earlier this year, the FSA revealed that the number of establishments to receive food hygiene written warnings increased in 2017/18, compared to the previous year. What’s more, the majority of food hygiene improvement notices that were issued in this time were for businesses in England, rather than elsewhere in the UK.