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The FSA in partnership with local authorities is introducing the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) in Scotland. These schemes are designed to help consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, cafés, takeaways, hotels and food shops. Through these consumer choices, the schemes also aim to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards. The overarching aim is to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.
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Adequate monitoring and evaluation is essential in order to review progress and assess the impact of food hygiene rating schemes. The intention is for the evaluation to cover:
<UL> <LI> consumer awareness and understanding of the FHRS and FHIS
<LI>the impact of the FHRS and FHIS on consumer behaviour
<LI>uptake of the FHRS and FHIS by local authorities
<LI>impact of the FHRS and FHIS on the local authorities’ programme of planned inspections and other visits to food businesses, and on local authority resources
<LI>businesses’ understanding of the FHRS and FHIS, levels of voluntary display, impact on compliance levels, and business turnover
<LI>impact of FHRS and FHIS on the incidence of foodborne illness</ul>
The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) provided advice in respect of systematically assessing the operation of the schemes (‘process evaluation’), and indentifying their impacts (‘impact evaluation’).
Impact evaluation: <BR>
Stage 1 – assessment of potential for construction of a data set <BR>
A detailed examination of the types of data held by the Agency and other public sources should be undertaken to determine whether they are sufficient and whether a longitudinal data set could be constructed.
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Stage 2 – construction of data set <BR>
If sufficient data is available at stage 1, work will involve extracting and cleaning data and creating a longitudinal panel dataset containing relevant outcome measures, policy and contextual variables.
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Stage 3 – evaluation of programme impacts <BR>
The impact study should first consider the effects of existing ‘local’ food hygiene rating schemes on the incidence of foodborne illnesses and hygiene standards, and then the effects of the FHRS and FHIS given the presence, or otherwise of ‘local’ schemes.
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Process evaluation <BR>
Stage 1- case studies of ‘early adopters’
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Case studies of ‘early adopter’ local authorities should be undertaken. Fieldwork should take place about six months after implementation and involve each of the three target groups – consumers, local authorities and food business operators. The emerging findings would provide detailed evidence on how the initiative was operating and highlight best practice.
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Stage 2 – study of national implementation <BR>
A study of national implementation should take place at a later stage once the FHRS and FHIS are more established. Replicating the methodology used at stage 1, this stage should be focused on case study local authorities, some of which could be ‘early adopters’. Incorporating a longitudinal element, by studying a small number of ‘early adopters’ at this stage would provide depth of detail on the longer term delivery of the scheme.
<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/" target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.