CONSUMERS will be better informed when shopping for food or eating out in West Devon thanks to the introduction of a new scheme which tells them about the hygiene standards of food outlets.

West Devon Borough Council is introducing the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme across the entire borough just in time for Food Safety Week (June 6-10).

The scheme has been developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities, and provides information on food hygiene standards to help people choose where to eat out or shop for food.

More than 600 food premises in West Devon are included in the scheme, such as restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, care homes, event caterers, schools, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops.

The hygiene standards found during these inspections have been rated on a scale ranging from zero, which means 'urgent improvement necessary' to a top rating of five — 'very good'. These ratings are available for anyone to view on the the FSA website (http://www.food.gov.uk/ratings">www.food.gov.uk/ratings)  and once inspected, the businesses are given a sticker and certificate for display at their premises.

Cllr Robert Oxborough, chairman of West Devon's environment and community committee, said: 'Being part of a national scheme such as this is good for local businesses and also good for the consumer.

'The ratings are standardised nationally which means that local businesses can assess their performance and make informed decisions about their own need to improve food hygiene against a national benchmark.

'The scheme also has the potential to increase consumer confidence in local food businesses by providing the information necessary to properly assess the standards in food premises.'

More than one million people suffer from food poisoning each year and through the scheme, customers will be better informed when deciding where to eat out. A rating can be withdrawn if a business's standards are found to have dropped at a later inspection. Businesses are entitled to appeal, have the right to reply about their rating and can also request re-inspection.

Jeff Rooker, chair of the FSA, said: 'We're really pleased to have West Devon Borough Council on board with this national initiative.

'The FSA has worked in partnership with local authorities to develop this scheme, which allows people to judge for themselves whether they consider the hygiene standards of a food outlet to be good enough.

'This will help local people and the many visitors to the area choose where they want to eat out or shop for food. If customers are looking for a rating, this will drive businesses to improve their standards.'