OVERWHELMING RESPONSE” TO FOOD HYGIENE SEMINARS

An overwhelming response from food businesses across Thanet has meant
an extra seminar has had to be added, so that they can learn more about
a new national scheme rating food premises on their food hygiene,
management and structure.

More than 120 people have attended the two seminars already held to
date, which have been organised by Thanet District Council’s
Environmental Health team. Now 150 people have put their names down for
the final session, due to take place on Monday 12 March. As a result,
two sessions are now being held, one at 2pm and the other at 4pm. Both
will be held in the Council Chamber in the council’s main offices in
Cecil Street, Margate.

The seminars aim to introduce businesses to the Food Hygiene Rating
Scheme that is being implemented across the country by the Food
Standards Agency. The national scheme provides consumers with
information about hygiene standards in food business establishments by
awarding a star rating door sticker and a certificate.

The scheme will rate businesses from zero to five stars, but as the
team have been explaining at the seminars, these scores are based on the
routine inspections that they already carry out. They have talked
businesses through everything that they need to consider if they want to
gain a five star rating, explaining what food safety officers are
looking for.

Debbie Huckstep, the council’s Public Protection Manager, has been
one of the staff speaking at the seminars. “It’s become quite clear
from the feedback that we’re getting from businesses that they’re
concerned about a couple of issues. We’ve been asked about whether
everyone will be treated and scored in the same way and we’ve been
able to reassure them, that because it’s a national scheme, they will
be.

“Businesses are also rightly concerned that this may mean that they
have to do more work, but we’ve able explain that isn’t the case.
It’s already a legal requirement for them to meet hygiene regulations.
At every seminar, we’ve also made it clear that, as the council, we
want to see as many businesses in Thanet getting top marks as possible,
as that will be good for the area. Our food safety team can only give
those top marks though if businesses ensure that everything is in order
before they’re inspected.”

Matt Whitehead from Rooks in Margate was at one of the first seminars.
“It’s been useful to come along and learn what we need to do before
an inspection. We’ve also got to meet the Environmental Health
Officers and if there are any problems, you can be more proactive in
getting those sorted out beforehand.”

All the inspections undertaken by the team from 1 March 2012 onwards
will appear on the national website when the scheme launches in Thanet
at the start of April. Certificates will be provided to businesses which
are inspected from 1 March with details of their results. Certificates
will also be available to businesses which have not yet been inspected,
so that they can display these and show customers that they are still
awaiting an inspection.