Local councils’ food safety shame

The consumer group’s analysis was based on data submitted to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) by 398 local authorities. Enfield in London came lowest in its ranking, with only 54% of its medium and high-risk businesses meeting hygiene requirements.

The City Of Edinburgh came second to last, with five other London councils in the bottom 10 (Lewisham, Ealing, Harrow, Camden and Brent).

“In some of the worst performing local authorities, you might as well toss a coin before deciding which restaurant to trust with your health,”​ Which? claimed.

Businesses were ultimately responsible for complying with hygiene rules, but local authorities were tasked with enforcing compliance, the organisation said.

Best performing​

However, it was not all bad news. Which? stressed that some local authorities were performing well. Cherwell District Council in North Oxfordshire was rated as the best performing local authority for a second year running, for example.

In addition, compared to a similar report produced by Which? last year, Newark and Sherwood was the most improved local authority, said Which? Fylde Borough Council had deteriorated the most, it claimed.

All foodservice businesses, including cafes, restaurants and public sector catering bodies, were covered by the Which? report.

“Our research reveals a shocking postcode lottery on food hygiene where in some places you may as well toss a coin before deciding which restaurant to trust with your health,”​ said executive director Richard Lloyd.

“Consumers expect local authorities to check that food businesses in their area comply with hygiene standards and rigorously enforce the rules.​

‘Respond effectively’​

“Local authorities should do more to make the best use of limited resources, respond effectively to risks across the food supply chain and ensure consumers are adequately protected wherever they live.”​

Which? drew on the 2013/14 Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System (LAEMS) hygiene database collected by the FSA to rate council hygiene performance. 

About half a million UK consumers suffer food poisoning each year, according to Which? It based its rankings on three criteria:

• the proportion of premises ranked as high or medium risk in a local authority that were compliant with food hygiene requirements;
• the percentage of premises that had been rated for risk;
• the proportion of inspections and other follow-ups that were carried out by local authority inspectors

Compliance​

It scored each local authority against the UK average for each of the three criteria. It then combined those scores, giving 50% of the weighting to the percentage of compliant high and medium risk premises – as their main purpose is to ensure compliance. A total of 25% of the weighting was given to each of the other two criteria.

When a food business opens, it is usually given a risk rating of A (high) to E (low). This rating is determined by a number of factors, including the type of establishment, the type of people it serves, how many people it serves and the competence of the management.

The rating given determines how often the premise is inspected, with highest-risk premises being inspected every six months and the lowest risk only every five years.