Friday September 30, 2016
Clean and simple: a series of blogs from Cleanline expert Rod Hale.
We asked our Cleanline expert ‘What is ‘Scores on the Doors’ and how does it affect customer perception of a caterer’s business?’
And here’s what he told us…
Cleanline Expert – Rod Hale Twitter – @rodhale2
If you and your friends find yourselves ravenously hungry and short on time in an unfamiliar part of the country, you probably decide where to eat based on what type of food you feel like – Italian, Chinese, Indian, and so on.
But once you’ve decided what type of meal you want, another important question has to be answered: “Is the food cooked and prepared hygienically?” 
That’s when you look at your Scores on the Doors app https://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/ to see the hygiene scores of the establishments and use it to complete your decision-making process.
Scores on the doors was invented and is administered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Following an inspection by the local food safety officer each business is issued with a window sticker that they have to display. The 0 to 5 hygiene scores give a simple and immediate indication of the quality of hygiene practices and it’s the only national scheme informing us about the hygiene standards in food premises open to the public. Apart from reassuring consumers, the idea is that by making the food hygiene score public it’ll ensure businesses improve and maintain a high standard.
During the inspection the food safety officer checks how well food businesses are meeting the law on food hygiene. Three areas are assessed, these are:
- How hygienically the food is handled, how it is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored and what measures are taken to prevent food being contaminated with bacteria.
- The condition of the premises including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, equipment and other facilities.
- Management and records of what is done to make sure food is safe, using a recommended system like Safer Food, Better Business.
After judging each of these areas an overall 0 to 5 score is issued.
At Cleanline we are most concerned with the first point because that relates directly to good cleaning practises using chemicals and systems that actually work. If you’re interested though, lots more detail about the other two points is available on Food Hygiene Rating website.
In order to score well on point 1 there are several ways in which a Cleanline system will help:
- Do those that are cleaning the food preparation areas really know what they’re doing? Have they been properly and regularly trained online with a dedicated interactive website like we provide with Cleanline?
- Are the cleaning products they purchase up to the job? Has the sanitiser passed the EN1270 accreditation test to prove it really does kill bacteria like our Cleanline chemicals?
- Is there someone they can phone up if something goes wrong?
- Is there an easy-to-read chart on the wall they can look at to make sure they’re using the products properly?
- Is the labelling on cleaning chemical bottles clear and understandable to everybody, even those that have English as a second language?
- Are there any unnecessary products on site, or is the range of products small, simple and functional like we provide with Cleanline?
Next time you look in the window and see a sticker with a low score, it’s certainly worth a double take – and a second thought.
If you are interested in how Cleanline can help your business to meet hygiene requirements in the kitchen, then please speak to us today.
