Restaurants and caterers are under fire from the Food Standards Agency after official statistics showed that over half the 239,969 premises inspected in the UK failed to meet food and safety laws.
The agency arrived at the figures by collating the evidence from inspections conducted by local authority environmental health officers across the UK in 2000.

These exposed more than 118,000 restaurants and catering companies flouting hygiene rules.

In 2000, some 12,000 more inspections were carried out in the UK compared to 1999, but there has been a 30 per cent decrease in the number of prosecutions — from 1,087 in 1999 to 753 in 2000.

The statistics also show a marked decline in the number of samples taken by local authorities — a drop of 15,000 to 175,000.

One of the most significant tools in enforcing food safety laws is the sampling and detailed analysis of food.

Sir John Krebs, chairman of the Food Standards Agency said that standards should be raised throughout the industry.

'Although some of the breaches may be minor it does point to generally low standards. It is simply not acceptable,' he said.

Source

The Facilities Business