National Scores on the Doors scheme approved

A six-tier national Scores on the Doors hygiene rating scheme has been approved by the Food Standards Agency Board.

The scheme will rate pub kitchens on a scale of 1-6 depending on a hygiene inspection by local authorities. The decision over whether to display results at the premises will be voluntary.

However, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) slammed the scheme as "ridiculous".

The scheme will cover all business that supply food to customers including supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and takeaways and a new steering group will be set up to manage the migration towards a national scheme.

"Consumers and many local authorities have told us that they support systems that show a range of hygiene standards," said Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement at the Food Standards Agency. "Some businesses who responded to our consultation also supported a progressive scale but most had concerns about this approach.

"Now that the Board has decided to move towards a six-tier scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the new steering group will be working to ensure that the new scheme will be clear, robust, and easy to use for both businesses and consumers.

"We want this scheme to help people to make informed choices about where they eat, be a catalyst for businesses to drive up standards and help make eating out as safe as it can be."

Ridiculous​

ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said: "We're disappointed that the FSA has decided to press ahead with the rollout of this ridiculous scheme. What is it actually trying to achieve? Food outlets are either complying with hygiene regulations or they're not. The FSA would do far better to leave local authorities to focus on tackling those that are not.

"If we are going to go down this route, at least they have chosen to make the display for the scores voluntary. Nevertheless, a six-tier system will just make the whole thing confusing and unclear, which defeats the whole object of the exercise. How will a customer differentiate between premises that have four stars or five stars? What is the subtle distinction in cleanliness standards.

"As with so many well intentioned initiatives, the result is pointless red tape and overzealous regulation. It is the smaller operators who will be hit most because fundamentally it's a diversion of effort and expense from serving the customer."