Woking Diners Assured of High Standards of Hygiene

Woking diners can be assured that they can get the best out of their restaurants as Woking Borough Council launched their Food Hygiene Rating Scheme on Wednesday 1 June. This scheme was developed by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with local authorities to ensure that food hygiene standards remain high. The rating is between 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good). The scheme was launched at a ceremony in which 50 restaurant and food take away owners in Woking Borough whose premises have shown very high standards received their official seal of approval. The FSA Website shows all the businesses listed and in addition they are given a certificate and sticker to display on the premises so that customers can be reassured about the standard of hygiene to expect. 

Enthusiasm for the scheme came both from Woking Borough Councillors with Cllr Beryl Hunwicks, Portfolio Holder for Food Health and Safety, saying "This scheme presents a simple and straightforward way for members of the public to check the hygiene standard of food premises before it's too late, while business will see that displaying their rating, and having good hygiene standards, will be good for business."

Sarah Appleby, Head of Enforcement and Local Authority Delivery Division at the FSA, added: "We are encouraging as many local authorities as possible to run the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, so it's great news that Woking Borough Council will be using it. Around one million people suffer from food poisoning every year, and our aim in introducing the scheme is to reduce this.

"The ratings will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop, before they make their decision about which place they prefer to visit."

For more information or to check out whether your favourite business meets the standard look at http://www.woking.gov.uk/news?item=00004DE7B2CE.C0A801BA.000049A1.0014

and http://ratings.food.gov.uk/