Una Campbell (second from left), alongside Environmental Health Officers from councils across Northern Ireland and FSA representatives at an event held in Parliament Buildings, Stormont to mark ten years of mandatory Food Hygiene Rating display.
This month, we celebrate 10 years of mandatory display of Food Hygiene Ratings in Northern Ireland.
We spoke to Una Campbell, Senior Adviser (Hygiene) at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland about her experience of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). Una has worked as a district council Environmental Health Officer delivering the scheme on the ground, and as policy adviser on the scheme at the FSA.
When you visit a restaurant, café or takeaway in Northern Ireland, you'll probably recognise the familiar green and black Food Hygiene Rating sticker. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to ensure the scheme provides people with information they can trust and confidence in the ratings they see?
Having experienced FHRS from two different perspectives, Una knows there's more to the scheme than the number displayed in a business window.
From carrying out inspections to supporting the scheme
Before joining the FSA, Una worked as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, inspecting food businesses and their food hygiene standards.
"When I worked in a council, FHRS was very much part of the day-to-day job. My focus was on the individual food business: carrying out an unannounced inspection, assessing what I found and determining the appropriate rating."
"As any EHO who has delivered FHRS will know, that rating can be very important to a business. You see first-hand the impact it has and the importance businesses place on achieving a good rating."
Una was also working in local government when Northern Ireland moved from a voluntary Food Hygiene Rating Scheme to a statutory scheme with mandatory display in October 2016.
Ten years later, the scheme is well established with more than 99% of food businesses in Northern Ireland holding a rating of 3 or above and 84% achieving the highest rating of 5.
What does a Food Hygiene Rating actually tell you?
Food Hygiene Ratings are based on the standards found by an EHO during an inspection. Businesses are rated from 0 to 5, with a rating of 5 indicating very good food hygiene standards.
During an inspection, officers assess three key areas: how hygienically food is handled, the cleanliness and condition of the premises and how food safety is managed.
A Food Hygiene Rating isn't a review of how good the food tastes or the quality of service. It provides information about the hygiene standards found at the time of inspection, helping customers make informed choices about where they eat or order food.
For Una, having carried out those inspections herself provides an important perspective on the practical work involved in delivering the scheme.
"Having previously been one of the EHOs delivering FHRS in Northern Ireland, I still look at issues through an EHO lens but with my FSA hat on.
"If we’re considering an aspect of how the scheme operates, I’m usually thinking about how it will work in practice: is it clear, how will an officer apply it and what will it mean for the business?"
There's more behind the sticker than you might think
While EHOs are responsible for inspecting food businesses and determining ratings, the FSA also plays an important role in supporting the scheme.
FHRS is delivered through a partnership between the FSA and Northern Ireland's eleven district councils.
Council EHOs work directly with food businesses, while the FSA helps provide assurance and maintain consistency through activities including the annual food hygiene rating display audit and national consistency exercises.
For Una, moving to the FSA revealed another side of a scheme she already knew well.
“One of the biggest differences for me has been seeing just how much work goes on behind the scenes. It is not as simple as I thought. A consumer sees a 0 to 5 rating and the familiar green and black sticker, but there is a lot more behind it.
“An important part of that work is making sure accurate and timely information is available on the FHRS database, allowing consumers to check the rating of a food business online as well as at its premises.
"Working in the FSA I’ve come to realise and appreciate the importance of accurate and timely information being submitted to the FHRS database.
"For consumers to make informed choices, they need to be able to rely on the information they see, whether that is looking at the sticker when they arrive at the business or the rating they find when they check online."
Celebrating ten years of mandatory display
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2010 with mandatory display becoming a legal requirement in October 2016 under the Food Hygiene Rating Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
The tenth anniversary is an opportunity to recognise the contribution of the food businesses, Environmental Health Officers, district councils and FSA colleagues who help make the scheme work.
It's also an opportunity to look ahead, as the way people buy and order food continues to change.
"Seeing the scheme from both sides has made me appreciate how the different roles contribute to the same purpose. Whether carrying out an inspection as an EHO or working to support and provide assurance around the scheme at the FSA, ultimately it is about helping consumers make informed choices and helping to protect public health."
Despite the change in role, Una hasn't forgotten what it's like to be on the other side of the partnership.
"I certainly haven’t forgotten what it is like to be the person walking through the door to do the inspection that ultimately determines that business’s Food Hygiene Rating."
Check before you choose
When choosing somewhere to eat or order food, look for the green and black sticker or check a business's rating online at food.gov.uk/ratings.
A Food Hygiene Rating tells you about the hygiene standards found at the time of inspection, helping you make an informed choice.
seen at 09:40, 3 November in Food Standards Agency.