Muted Applause for Scores on the Doors

---

Acton establishments not all listed

From Michelin starred restaurants (not too many yet in Acton) to the local café, food hygiene inspection results from 80,000 of London’s eateries are now available to the public.

This sounds useful, but the reality of the new website is less than ideal. Firstly, it is extremely difficult to access the information and secondly, many establishments are not listed. The information on the site for each borough is supplied by the council's Environmental Health Department and it is baffling that some of Acton's busiest venues do not appear on the list. A Council spokesman told us that the list only contains ratings for inspections carried out since January.

Scrolling through the list, we couldn't help wondering about the usefulness of rating Boots on Acton High Street for food hygiene and what percentage of Council tax money has been spent on this scheme.

The London Scores on the doors scheme is billed as listing almost every restaurant and food outlet in the participating boroughs rated according to their latest food hygiene inspection reports, enabling consumers to make informed choices about where to eat.

A Council spokesman told us: "The scores are based on inspections carried out since the beginning of the year. As more inspections are carried out there will be more eateries added, and existing scores updated."

Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: “The majority of venues do comply with standards but we will be cracking down on those that don’t, and they could even face being closed down.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) supported pilot will unite a number of existing schemes in London into what it calls a 'consistent, consumer friendly, easy to access website': www.yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores.

Notable omissions from the establishments listed in Ealing include the North China restaurant, 3 Spice, Vanilla, the George and Dragon, Thai Nice, L'Oriental, Coffee etc and Kiraku.

Food outlets will be rated between zero and five stars. A two star rating is defined as largely compliant with national requirements. Restaurants which fail to meet this standard are advised on how to improve and, where necessary, could be subject to enforcement action.

The Rocket scored 3 (Good level of legal compliance. Some more effort might be required), where the Churchfield was marked only 2 as was Poco Loco (Broadly compliant with food safety legislation. More effort required to meet all legal requirements). Be Thai, Acton Park Cafe and the Spice Garden all scored 4 (Good food safety management. High standard of compliance with food safety legislation).

Sichuan obtained nul points (Very poor: A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety. Major effort required.) as did the Tandoori Palace - one of the most popular restaurants in Acton.

Those with children in local schools may be interested to know that Twyford CE High School scored 4, Acton High School 3 and Ellen Wilkinson was awarded only 2.

If it's a 5-star rated establishment you're after in Acton for food hygiene, it's off to Boots or Iceland you should go.

In addition to the website, businesses are being issued with a certificate and window sticker with their star rating on. Currently display is voluntary, but discussions are taking place to make it a legal requirement in London for a business to display its star rating.

Strong public interest in kitchen cleanliness and the desire to drive up food hygiene standards has led to the London-wide pilot, which joins funded pilots in the Midlands and Scotland.

As there are a number of different schemes in operation currently, the FSA has commissioned independent evaluation, with the aim of declaring a preferred national scheme at the earliest opportunity.

CIEH Principal Policy Officer Jenny Morris said, “We are delighted consumers will be able to exercise choice about where to eat, based not only on the menu but also on how conscientious the restaurants are in maintaining hygiene.

“The London scheme will provide an opportunity for the public to access information all in one place, and in a consistent format. Importantly, it will recognise those businesses which work hard to maintain good standards and for others it should drive improvements, which is an outcome we are all seeking”

Supported by the CIEH, the FSA, the Greater London Assembly (GLA), London Councils, the consumer group Which?, London Connects - a pan London agency delivering improved public services through the use of technology - and the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM) the public information website can be found at: www.yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores.

Head of Strategy and Policy Branch at the FSA, Nathan Philippo said, "The Food Standards Agency is pleased to be working with local authorities across the country to deliver scores on the doors. We see increased consumer awareness as a key tool in the future of local authority
engagement with businesses."

Peter Williams Deputy CEO of London Connects said, “This pan London web service demonstrates London’s local authorities’ commitment to keep their customers informed of topics that matter to them. Delivering information locally and across London has resulted in authorities working together for a common cause – shared information and developing a common environmental health practice across London – a benefit to all.”

Participating boroughs include Ealing, Hounslow, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond.

October 11, 2007