Name-and-shame scheme expected within two years
A law compelling restaurants, hotels and other catering businesses to publish the results of their food hygiene inspections looks set to be introduced in the next two years.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Advisory Body for Social Services Caterers, deputy chair of the Food Standards Agency Suzi Leather said the move was a "real aspiration" of the agency.
And food hygiene expert Geoff Ward, also speaking at the conference, said he expected the measure to be introduced within two years.
Leather told the conference that publishing hygiene scores would create "a huge incentive for businesses to raise standards" and would be "a very good way of upping the game".
In the USA, catering outlets have to publish the results of their food hygiene and health & safety audits alongside their menus. A score of 86 or above out of 100 is a pass.
Ward, managing director of Hygiene Monitoring Services, said news of the legislation was "worrying".
He said: "I don't want to see an extra burden on the catering industry as we are coming into a recession."
But he conceded that many small, proprietor-run restaurants were "in a mess" and were often source of food poisoning outbreaks. "They give the rest of the industry a bad name," he said.
Leather said no decision had yet been taken on how the results of inspections should be published.
"We need to work out with the industry what would be feasible and meaningful to consumers," she said.
The Advisory Body for Social Services Caterers conference has been taking place in Hinckley, Leicestershire over the past two days.
