Mansfield named as one of worst areas for food hygiene in the UK

Mansfield has been named as one of the worst areas in the UK for takeaway and restaurant hygiene.

A survey by consumer watchdog Which? shows that 11% of the Nottinghamshire town’s food businesses scored a Food Standards Agency two rating or less for hygiene – making it one of the poorest areas outside of London for cleanliness.

Bassetlaw was the top performing area in the East Midlands, with 88% of its restaurants and takeaways ranking three or above.

The Food Standards Agency rates food business according to the below criteria:
0 – Urgent improvement necessary Includes serious food hygiene breaches, dirty and no record of safety systems meaning people’s health is at risk.
1 – Major improvements necessary A number of breaches to food hygiene and lack of training for staff.
2 – Improvement necessary Some concerns around handling practices and the facilities that need changing quickly.
3 – Generally satisfactory Practices for maintaining safety standards are good, but there’s still room for improvement. No immediate threat to health.
4 – Good The business has good food hygiene practices and safety systems in place with just a few minor areas for improvement.
5 – Very good Excellent hygiene practices and safety systems in place.

The news comes as thousands of restaurants and cafes across the country have been forced to shut their doors due to the pandemic, many have switched to offering home delivery as a way of reaching customers.

Which? looked at Food Standards Agency data for 384 local council areas in the UK and found food businesses in parts of London, along with Birmingham, Southend, Mansfield and Bolton were the worst in the country for hygiene.

According to the FSA, only half (52%) of businesses in England display their food hygiene ratings compared to more than four in five in Wales (87%) and Northern Ireland (84%).

Evidence suggests that making it a requirement for food businesses to display their hygiene rating can improve standards across the board. Since 2013 when the display of hygiene ratings became mandatory in Wales, the proportion of restaurants with five ratings has increased by 23%.

Which? says it is concerned consumers risk being left in the dark or misled about hygiene standards and is calling for the mandatory display of hygiene ratings in food business across the whole of the UK, so consumers can make informed choices when dining out.

Lisa Barber, Which? Magazine editor, said: “Our research has found that while some areas are blessed with impressive food hygiene levels across the board, others have large numbers of food businesses, including restaurants and takeaways, with sloppy standards that risk making customers seriously ill.

“There is strong evidence to suggest that food businesses up their game when they know they will have to prominently display their hygiene rating. It must urgently become mandatory for food businesses, including restaurants and takeaways, to display their score on the premises and online, so customers can make informed choices.”