As the festive period approaches and more people look to eat out, the county council is taking a proactive approach to ensure food safety.

Monitoring and subsequent enforcement by environmental health officers is taking place to ensure eating establishment and food businesses are meeting stringent food safety standards as well as clearly and accurately displaying their food hygiene scores.

The Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 came to effect in November 2013. Its food hygiene Rating Scheme helps make it easier for people to choose places with good hygiene when eating out or shopping for food. The scheme is run by local authorities in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

Environmental Health Manager, Llinos A. Roberts, said, “We’ve been working to ensure eating establishments across the Island have the highest food hygiene standards and are clearly and accurately displaying their food hygiene scores.”

“This year alone, 18 Anglesey food businesses have received a warning letter with four businesses receiving a fixed penalty notice (all of which have been paid), either for not displaying their food hygiene score or for showing an incorrect score.”

“The food hygiene rating is vital as it tells customers about the hygiene standards in any place that they eat out, as well as in supermarkets and other food shops.”

Once an establishment is notified of their score, they must display the sticker provided by the local authority within 21 days. The Act states that they must display the sticker at all entrances used by customers. Not displaying a valid sticker is a crime.

Planning, Public Protection and Climate Change portfolio holder, Councillor Nicola Roberts, added, “Anglesey has a proud tradition as a food producer and for its culinary appeal. Christmas is fast approaching, and more people will be looking to eat out. Ensuring their safety is a priority. The County Council will take steps to penalise businesses if they do not display their stickers, or if they display incorrect stickers that may mislead customers about their food hygiene score.”

Fixed penalty notices have already been given to establishments for misleading customers. Establishments facing a fixed penalty notice can choose between paying £200 within 28 days or paying a lesser penalty of £150 if they pay within 14 days.

Individuals are encouraged to report any business that doesn't display a score in a prominent location or displays an incorrect one, and can do so by contacting the Environmental Health Department by visiting: https://www.anglesey.gov.wales/en/General-enquiry-forms.aspx

Does your favourite restaurant, takeaway or food shop have good hygiene standards? You can find out at: food.gov.uk/ratings

Ends 14 October 2022

Notes to editors

A food business can be given one of six ratings. These are on a scale from ‘0’ at the bottom, which means that urgent improvement is necessary, to ‘5’ at the top, which means that the business was found to have ‘very good’ hygiene standards.

The food safety officer inspecting a business will check:

• how hygienically the food is handled – including preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage
• the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene
• how food safety within the business is managed, including a system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat.
• that staff know about food safety, and that standards will be maintained in future