Four percent of food businesses not hygienic: Council

Council in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) operates a Food Hygiene Rating Scheme that rates food businesses in the Borough on a scale of zero to five, with zero meaning ‘urgent improvement necessary’ and the top rating of five representing a ‘very good’ standard of food hygiene. Those businesses with a rating of zero, one or two have hygiene standards below that expected by food law.

Alexis Bloomfield, Senior Environmental Health Officer , says: “The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a fantastic tool for all consumers in Coleraine to find out the hygiene standards of the food businesses in the area. Most people would like to think that the kitchens and food preparation areas in the places they buy food from are clean and hygienic.

“We have a number of businesses that have reached the five star rating and our aim is to boost standards so that all food businesses in the area have a rating of three or above.”