Ireland will investigate the possibility of setting up a hygiene rating system for food businesses.
The plans were revealed in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) strategy for 2025 to 2029.
From 2025 to 2027, a review of the evidence on business hygiene rating systems will be carried out and a recommendation will be made on their future place in Ireland’s official control system, which can inform policy decisions.
Work will be carried out to assess the impact of a hygiene assessment program for food businesses and seek to agree the way forward.
FSAI is seeking input and views from stakeholders to inform implementation, ahead of the potential launch of a Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) in Ireland.
First efforts
Dr. Pamela Byrne, CEO of FSAI, said the agency’s main goal is to protect public health.
“This new five-year strategy will continue to develop a culture of food safety across all food businesses, thereby improving food safety overall. We will continue to oversee a robust, evidence-based regulatory system, which supports the food industry to thrive and develop, with food safety at the heart of its operation,” she said.
The first meeting of the Food Hygiene Rating Systems Subcommittee took place at the end of September. A literature review document was presented at the event, with information on methods used in other countries.
Attendees heard there are challenges in implementing such systems and the subcommittee plans to get input from a range of experts with different experiences. The group will meet monthly through May.
The Food Safety Advisory Council is also working on the industrial perspective of a food hygiene assessment system.
At the September council meeting, guest speakers from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland presented on having an FHRS. This covered consistency of implementation and operation and the impact on food businesses, district councils and consumers.
Broader picture
Businesses in Northern Ireland are required by law to display their rating at or near each customer entrance. In England this is optional.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has previously called for legislation to make the display of FHRS scores mandatory, citing their ability to improve compliance with food hygiene laws and bring England in line with Wales and Northern Ireland.
A recent study published in the British food magazineexplored consumer perceptions of food hygiene inspections of restaurants and takeaways in the UK.
An online survey was conducted between March and November with 750 responses. More than 50 percent of participants reported experiencing symptoms of food poisoning at least once in the past five years.
Women, people with food sensitivities, people who suffered food poisoning and reported food safety issues to local authorities were more likely to check hygiene ratings. Participants who searched for the hygiene rating or information were more confident in recent food hygiene inspections. Those who searched for hygiene information also reported paying more attention to food safety since Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Respondents who believed that checks were more frequent (every 3 to 24 months) or risk-based showed significantly greater confidence in the local food hygiene inspection process.
Researchers say authorities should emphasize the importance of checking hygiene ratings or information before eating out or buying takeaways, especially for vulnerable groups.
Although not mandatory, scientists say restaurants and takeaways in England and Scotland could make hygiene ratings more visible and accessible to build public trust and encourage greater consumer engagement with food hygiene information.
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