Restaurant hygiene revealed with score on door
Myles Wearring
Ever wondered how hygienic your local restaurants are? Diners in New South Wales will soon find out with the State Government introducing a score on the door hygiene rating for food businesses.
Restaurants taking part in the voluntary program will recieve a score of A, B or C - with A being the highest level of food hygiene and safety - that they must display on their shopfront.
The goal is to encourage restaurants to lift their game when it comes to hygiene while empowering consumers at the same time.
What do you think of the system? Tell us below.
The program will be rolled out as a trial in 12 NSW councils from 1 July 2010, with the system going state-wide 12 months later. Read the Government’s press release.
A similar program has been announced in Queensland by Brisbane City Council. Called Eat Safe Brisbane and due to launch later this year, it uses a five-star rating system, with five stars being the best and two or less indicating poor hygeine.
Brisbane restaurants will get the extra incentive of discounted liscencing fees if they score five stars.
Similar score on the door systems have worked in London, LA, New York and Singapore, with LA showing a marked increase in restaurant hygeine and hospitals recording a drop in food-related illnesses.
What do you think of scores on the door for restaurant? Do you think the system will work?
Three cheers for the programme, Just for starters ...I’m sick of sharing my food with badly cleaned crockery, cutlery & glasware… I could go on and on.
I can see a lot of positives, but on the negative side, what happens when you are in a block of shops and the culprit of the pest/vermin infestation is the untidy shop next door?, Does the food venue get a bad score even though they are doing their darndest to keep the pests/vermin out....
How often to the scores get updated reviewed, ie when a shop sells or staff change?
Bea of MARDI, NSW
This is great! I have seen this implemented in The U.S. for some time and it works well, if updated regularly.
Jace of Labrador
