A RECENT media report has shown that the Torridge district, which includes Winkleigh, Sheepwash, Petrockstowe and Halwill Junction, is in the top four safest and most hygienic places to eat in the UK.

The report in the Guardian Newspaper highlighted Torridge and North Devon as one of the top four districts in the UK with the highest proportion of food establishments rated ‘good’ to ‘very good’.

The Guardian report showed that across the UK one in 13 restaurants and one in seven takeaways in the UK have failed food hygiene inspections because they are dirty or have poor procedures. The report found that of the 460,000 business examined, 30,000 (6.4%) had failed their inspections.

However, in Torridge only three out of 616 establishments, or less than 0.5%, were rated as requiring improvements with two out of the three already having complied with notices to make changes.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme ranging from zero (urgent improvement needed) to five (very good) was introduced to help people choose where to eat out, or shop for food, by telling them how seriously any business takes their food hygiene standards. The scheme is run by local authorities and applies to restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops.

Each business is given their hygiene rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the business’s local authority. The food safety officer inspecting the business checks how well the business is meeting the law by looking at how hygienically the food is handled, the condition of the structure of the buildings and how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.

At the end of the inspection, the business is given one of the six ratings from ‘0-5’. Zero to two is considered a failing rating whereas three to five is satisfactory. The top rating of five means that the business was found to have ‘very good’ hygiene standards and critically in Torridge there are currently no establishments with a zero rating with nearly 89% being awarded the very highest top rating of five.

Janet Williams, Torridge District Council’s environmental health manager, said: ‘It’s pleasing to know that proportionally under the FSA rating scheme we have some of the best run and most hygienic food establishments compared to anywhere in the UK. Of course the owners of many businesses should take the credit for the excellent hygiene standards they maintain. But we do work closely with many businesses to help them set up the right processes and create the right environment to manage food safely.

‘Our routine inspections ensure that these standards are maintained and any issues are dealt with promptly. We also offer an advisory service to companies during their design and setup phase and try to encourage businesses to involve us during their planning.’

The rating of any establishment in participating districts can be viewed on the food standards agency website, further information can also be found on the Torridge council website www.torridge.gov.uk/food