Eat Safe award scheme withdrawn
Tuesday 8 November 2011
The Eat Safe award scheme, which is administered by the Food Standards Agency and district councils, is being withdrawn in Northern Ireland due to the introduction of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). The withdrawal of the scheme is to help give consumers a single and consistent message regarding hygiene standards.
The Eat Safe award scheme was developed as an incentive to raise food safety standards in catering businesses, and to reward those businesses that strived for excellence in hygiene standards.
Catering food businesses that met the criteria for an Eat Safe award were provided with a certificate and sticker for display in a prominent position in their premises, and their information was displayed on the Eat Safe website. All businesses that have received the Eat Safe award have been asked to remove it from display.
About the FHRS
In June 2011, the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) was launched in Northern Ireland to provide consumers with information about food hygiene standards in places where they purchase food. The scheme is being rolled out across Northern Ireland, England and Wales. A separate scheme, with similar aims, is being rolled out by local authorities in Scotland.
The FHRS is run by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with district councils. Currently 17 of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland are operating the scheme, with a further eight councils due to join in 2012.