Surprising to learn this week that a consultation’s been launched on adopting a national food hygiene rating scheme in Ireland. I would have expected Ireland to have had one in place for some years now, since they’re working well in other parts of the world. If you don’t have similar in place in your neck of the woods, I’d be asking to have one set up pronto! Such schemes provide a great way of policing a huge industry with many facets, which can create problems if those working in it, fail to maintain adequate hygiene standards. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they’re covered at length in this week’s news, but in a nutshell, they involve establishments being awarded a publicly-available food hygiene rating following (what should be!) a surprise inspection by hygiene experts. 

  

Why am I such a fan of these schemes? Well – they’re good for the economy as a whole, cutting down on health issues such as potential mass food poisoning outbreaks and in turn, reducing the need for hospital care, medication and time away from work. They create jobs for inspectors and thus jobs in training delivery, too. Further, they can help identify those working illegally – not just people who shouldn’t be in the country, but benefits claimants who pretend they're unable to work when clearly they can. 

  

Giving consumers the tools to be able to vote with their feet is one of the best ways of forcing food businesses to step up when it comes to hygiene, since a boycotted business will eventually have to close. Surprise visits, rather than scheduled ones, need to be at the core though. Anyone can prepare if they know an inspection’s in the offing. In my view, it's only those who are caught off guard who can be considered to be working hygienically (or not, as the case may be!). And while some schemes are voluntary, would you eat at or buy from a food business that wasn't prepared to take part in a scheme? I wouldn’t, since it gives the impression of guilt. i.e. if a business has nothing to fear from taking part, why would it not take part and use its success as a marketing tool? Voluntary’s fine by me! 

  

I believe these systems work best if the public is aware of how the standards are determined: what failure would result in a drop from 5 to 4 etc., for example, and that only the best performing establishments should receive top rating. A UK cruise ship’s apparently been given a top hygiene rating by US national public health agency the CDC – despite “black debris” inside an ice machine sensor, and a “heavily soiled food contact surface” in a counter recessed ice bin. Not good enough, in my view. Dodgy ice can kill too!