Evaluation of the Display of the FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in Wales

<p>The Food Standards Agency Wales has commissioned a small scale quantitative study to investigate Welsh businesses’ display of food hygiene ratings in their premises.</p>
<p>Food hygiene rating schemes are designed to provide consumers with information about the hygiene standards at the time of inspection by Local Authority (LA) food safety officers. The purpose of the schemes is to allow consumers to make informed choices and, through this, to encourage non compliant businesses to improve hygiene standards.</p>
<p>FHRS ratings are displayed at www.food.gov.uk/ratings and businesses are provided with stickers and/or certificates and are encouraged by their LA (although not currently mandatory) to display these at their premises.</p>
<p>The study sought to estimate the level of display of FHRS stickers in food premises and to understand the motivations for display or non-display. The study was carried out in two parts, a physical audit of FHRS display rates and a telephone survey with food businesses. During the second component of the study, 500 telephone interviews with staff responsible for food handling and hygiene in food businesses that had been rated under the FHRS were carried out. The interview collected data on the reasons for display or not, the impact display had had, and in cases of non-display, what would increase their motivation to display. 298 of the telephone interviews were with premises that had been audited in the first stage of the research.</p>