London diners can check hygiene standards with Scores on the Doors app

Score on the Doors rating schemes are operated by a number of boroughs and used widely in London. The schemes allow consumers to see the results of latest food hygiene inspection in the form of a star rating (usually from zero to five stars with five stars being the highest score), which they have the option of displaying. Commenting on the launch, Tay Potier, CIEH London policy officer, said: "This is an exciting new development for London consumers. It will allow the public to make informed choices about where they want to eat and act as a quality assurance scheme – and hopefully drive up hygiene standards in food premises across the capital." Steve Miller, chair of the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM), added: ''I welcome this example of London borough environmental health staff working together with Transparency Data to inform consumers about the standard of food safety attained by businesses. "Access to safe food is essential in order to protect the public health of residents and the millions of people who work or visit the capital each year. The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympics Games are fast approaching and they are bringing with them a worldwide focus on the capital. "Introducing the initiative now will help raise the awareness of business of their responsibilities and by making the information easily available to customers encourage them to use it when the make decisions about where they eat."