According to the local council, standards of food hygiene in the restaurants, shops and takeaways of Hartlepool have improved significantly in the last 12 months.
Hartlepool Borough Council is a part of the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), in which businesses are inspected and given a rating for food hygiene which they can then display to their customers.
The scheme aims to recognize businesses that are committed to clean kitchens, food hygiene training for staff and meticulous food safety management systems, as well as rooting out those that are underperforming and potentially putting the health of their customers at risk.
The council in Hartlepool has confirmed that compared to last year’s results, there has been a rise in the number of local businesses achieving four and five star ratings. There are also no businesses receiving zero stars, which often results in the closure of the business until urgent improvements can be made.
Public protection manager for the council, Sylvia Pinkney, said:
“It is pleasing to note that 92.8 per cent of premises received a hygiene rating of three and above.
“The service is committed to focussing its resources on carrying out interventions at those businesses which are deemed not to be ‘broadly compliant’ and has liaised with businesses that have been awarded a hygiene rating of ‘2’ or less offering advice and support.”