A new study has revealed which council areas have the best and worst food hygiene ratings at takeaways and sandwich shops.
The Food Standards Agency website holds the data from inspections carried out by each local authority under the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme.
Every business that serves takeaway food is awarded with a hygiene rating between 0 (urgent improvement necessary) and 5 (very good).
Out of a total of 355 council areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Scotland is subject to a different rating system), Swindon had the 15th highest percentage of takeaways with a poor rating of 0, 1 or 2; with 27.8% of its 108 rated businesses requiring improvement.
Newham was the worst ranking council district, with 49.6% of businesses rated 2 or below and North Devon was the best, with 100% scoring 4 or 5.
Food establishments in Wales and Northern Ireland are required to clearly display the rating that they receive under the Scheme, with England to follow suit from 2019.
Linda Firth, a Director at LoveMyVouchers.co.uk said, “The study was conducted to raise awareness about the importance of food hygiene ratings, as they are not always obvious for takeaways, particularly in England. Many of the top food ordering websites do not currently display the ratings, so customers need to be mindful of this when placing an order.”
The study doesn’t show Swindon’s takeaway options in a very good light, but if you want to find the full details of the study, you can do so here – https://www.lovemyvouchers.co.uk/lifestyle/takeaway-food-hygiene-study/
