FOOD hygiene in Bradford would be vastly improved if all businesses in the district were forced to display their “scores on the doors.”

Bradford’s food hygiene manager has told councillors that since this has been adopted in Wales and Northern Ireland, there has been a big difference in food safety – and a rule in England would be the best way of improving Bradford businesses.

Members of Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee were given an update on the work being done in Bradford to improve food safety.

The Council’s food safety team is responsible for inspecting the 4,553 food business in the district.

This figure includes 101 supermarkets, 676 take aways and 852 restaurants and cafes, as well as distributors, wholesalers and schools.

Angela Brindle, Environmental Health Manager, told members of the pressures of regularly inspecting such a huge amount of businesses.

Councillor Chris Steele (Lab, Wharfedale) asked: “If you had a magic wand and could do one thing to improve food standards in Bradford, what would it be?”

Mrs Brindle said: “I would make it the duty for businesses to display food hygiene ratings. It has been shown to improve food standards in Northern Ireland and Wales. It is not mandated here.

“To do that in England we’d require new legislation.”

Councillor Anna Watson (Green, Shipley) suggested councillors should lobby local MPs and Government to change the law.

Food hygiene ratings are awarded to all food businesses after they are inspected. The ratings range from 0 – where there are serious concerns for food safety, to 5.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive for Healthy People and Places, said: “It is in a business’ best interest to display their scores. If a business doesn’t display its food hygiene rating, I’d think ‘I’m not going in here.’”

Members were told that there would be a national campaign later this month to encourage businesses to display food hygiene ratings on their website as well as in their physical store.

Cllr Watson asked if hygiene ratings were in the public domain.

Members were told that all ratings were on the Food Standards Agency website. Mrs Brindle added: “The Telegraph & Argus often runs articles on ratings, like a list of 0* rated premises. It is really good that they do that. When that happens members of the public become aware these ratings are viewable. People often share bad ratings on local Facebook pages, and that raises awareness.”

The Committee heard that the food standards team kept visiting the worst performing food businesses until they complied with standards.

If they did not, the team could issue improvement notices ordering them to carry out specific improvement works, or take enforcement action, which can lead to court.