The new feature will allow citizens to access straightforward information about more than 300 premises serving food to the public in Aberdeen.
People can use the ”Scores on the Doors” link in the “Most Popular” section of the city council’s website to search for a business by name, address, type, outcome or date of inspection. It is also possible to view summary lists of premises which are awaiting inspection, have passed the inspection, are exempt, or which need to improve. Detailed reports for inspected premises are also provided.
Uniquely to Aberdeen, citizens can use the new mapping facility on the site to view the location of each premises.
The initiative is part of the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, which is being run in much of central Aberdeen, along with Perth and parts of Edinburgh, Fife and Renfrewshire, and applies to all premises supplying food to the public.
Around 3,000 establishments are taking part in the pilot “Scores on the Doors” project, under which they are being asked to display certificates prominently on the door or window of their premises showing how well they did in their last hygiene inspection by their local environmental health service.
The certificates say “Pass”, “Improvement Required” – or “Awaiting Inspection” for new businesses and those not yet inspected.
A “Pass” indicates that the business broadly met the legal requirements at its most recent inspection, during which officers will have studied conditions in the premises and the management procedures in place for providing safe food.
Food outlets which fail to meet the requirements are issued with an “Improvement Required” certificate.
A very small number of premises may be registered as food businesses but are exempt from the scheme because it is unlikely that customers will view them as food outlets. The assessment for such premises will have concluded that the food safety risk is negligible. In such cases, with the agreement of the business, a certificate will not be issued and the information on the local authority website will indicate that the business is currently exempt from the Food Hygiene Information Scheme.
All premises must be re-inspected when they change ownership.
Aberdeen City Council trading standards manager Carole Jackson said: “The inclusion of inspection reports on the website is one of the first steps to achieving greater transparency about standards in food businesses. It provides information for the general public so that they can make an informed choice about where they purchase food.
“Consumers can get an insight into what happens behind closed kitchen doors. Ultimately this should encourage food business operators to ensure that standards of hygiene are maintained or improved in their premises and should reduce the need for interventions by local authority food safety enforcement officers.”
Ian Watt, Aberdeen City Council's e-government manager, said: "This feature is a significant new addition the city council's web site. It demonstrates how we are continually improving the site by providing more of the information and services that citizens want."
The new feature can be found at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/scores.
The Food Standards Agency’s Eatsafe award scheme at www.eatsafe.gov.uk , meanwhile, continues to offer catering businesses the opportunity to be recognised for the achievement of top-class standards above the simple compliance level. Three have been listed so far in the Granite City – the Aberdeen Hilton Treetops Hotel, the Aberdeen Marriott Hotel and the workplace restaurant Eurest at BP Exploration in Dyce.
Quelle/Source: Aberdeen City, 04.04.2007
