All food premises in England should be forced to display ‘Scores on the Doors’ ratings, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
The body that represents councils in England says the move should be made as part when EU laws governing food safety are converted into UK law after Brexit.
Businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland are already legally required to display their rating. However, in Scotland and England, businesses do not have to display the rating they have been awarded.
The Food Standards Agency conducted a survey in 2012 that showed 43% of restaurants and other food businesses in England put up a score, this dropped to 12% for businesses with a low rating between zero and two.
The government plans to convert EU law into domestic legislation as part of its EU (Withdrawal) Bill and councils want ministers to take that opportunity to strengthen regulation by making all restaurants and takeaways in England display their “scores on the doors” for food hygiene. This would not only improve consumer confidence and raise standards, but also reduce the need for, and therefore cost of, enforcement action by councils.
The LGA believes that businesses – including restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, sandwich shops, supermarkets and delicatessens – that fail to comply should be fined or prosecuted.
