Council celebrates Food Hygiene Rating Scheme’s 10th Anniversary

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), with local food businesses continuing to achieve exceptionally high standards of food hygiene across the district.

At a special event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Council environmental health professionals joined their colleagues from across Northern Ireland and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to celebrate the milestone for food safety and public health.

The event recognised the contribution of district councils, environmental health officers and 
food businesses in delivering the scheme and supporting high standards of food hygiene across 
Northern Ireland. 

The (FHRS) is a partnership program run by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing consumers with clear and easy-to-understand information about the hygiene standards found at food businesses during inspections carried out by Environmental Health Officers. 

The latest figures for Newry, Mourne and Down reveal that 85% of food premises in the district have been awarded the highest possible Food Hygiene Rating of 5, while 98.4% have achieved a rating of 3 or above, demonstrating a strong commitment to food safety and public health throughout the local food industry.

Ratings range from 0, indicating urgent improvement is necessary, to 5, which signifies very good compliance with food hygiene requirements.

Over the past decade, the scheme has helped district businesses improve hygiene standards, increased transparency for consumers and provided confidence when choosing where to eat, shop or order food. Adopting food hygiene and safety measures has various benefits beyond compliance, helping safeguard public health and developing a culture of responsibility and sustainability. 

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna said, “It is encouraging to see the outstanding standards being achieved by food businesses right across our district. The fact that 85% of premises have attained the highest rating of 5 and more than 98% have achieved a rating of 3 or above reflects the dedication, professionalism and hard work of our local food operators.

“This scheme has played an important role in raising standards, supporting businesses and  giving consumers confidence in our hospitality and food industry and the places where we shop.”

Cllr Hanna added: “The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is about more than a sticker in a window. It gives consumers confidence by providing clear information about food hygiene standards and highlights the important work environmental health officers do to help protect public health.

“Over the past 10 years, mandatory display has made food hygiene ratings more visible to customers and has encouraged businesses to achieve and maintain high standards. This milestone provides an opportunity to recognise the efforts of both food businesses and our environmental health officers in delivering safer food for everyone.”