British Sandwich Association becomes first trade body to adopt hygiene ratings

The association, which already operates an accreditation scheme for sandwich manufacturers and suppliers to the industry, will in future require that its retail members have a minimum food hygiene rating of three. Food Standards Agency chief executive Tim Smith said: "The support of the food industry is critical to the success of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme so I am delighted that the BSA has set minimum standards for membership of its organisation. We look forward to working closely with the BSA so that both consumers and businesses can benefit from this scheme." BSA Director Jim Winship said: "Food safety has been at the heart of the Association since it was founded in 1990. Whilst we have been auditing sandwich manufacturers for over 20 years, the new FSA scheme also enables us to monitor food hygiene standards across our retail members. Although the scheme is still being rolled out, we believe it offers a real incentive for encouraging food businesses to make food safety a priority."