New food hygiene ratings scheme comes to Northern Ireland

The scheme, which launched today at Belfast's Café Vaudeville to mark the start of Food Safety Week in Northern Ireland, rates the food hygiene standards of over 11,000 local businesses where people can eat or buy food, from cafés and restaurants to supermarkets and delis. Consumers are urged to check out these ratings at food.gov.uk/ratings or look out for the green and black stickers and certificates inside food businesses. Under the scheme, food businesses are rated 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. Speaking at the launch of the FHRS, Michael Jackson, head of food safety and operations, Food Standard Agency in Northern Ireland, said: "The aim of the Food Hygiene Rating Sc eme is to help people make informed choices around the purchase of food – wherever they eat or shop. "Would-be diners can now "look before they book" by checking out the food hygiene rating food.gov.uk/ratings. People can also look out for the scheme's stickers and certificates that food businesses are being encouraged to visibly display in premises, not just in Northern Ireland, but throughout the UK." Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Niall Ó Donnghaile, said he hoped the new scheme would help shine a spotlight on the high quality of restaurants, cafés and other food businesses in the city.