Several businesses in Plymouth have been found to be displaying inaccurate food hygiene ratings on their windows, showing a four or five when they should be showing a zero, one, or two.
Plymouth Plus was able to investigate 57 of the 62 businesses in Plymouth, Plympton, and Plymstock that scored under a three, and found that 49 didn’t show any score at all, and eight were showing an inaccurate score on their windows.
In England and Scotland, businesses do not have to show their ratings at all if they choose not to, but these can be found on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website. In Northern Ireland and Wales, displaying these scores is legally required.
The FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme gives businesses a rating from zero to five, with zero being “Urgent improvement necessary” and five being “Very good”. FSA research suggests that when a score drops below three, “Generally satisfactory”, you are twice as likely to get ill from eating the food at that business.
At the time of investigation in mid-September, one of these businesses, Subway on Old Town Street, was found to be showing a rating of four on its window but was rated a one at the start of August this year, and this was shown to be the case on the FSA website.
When contacted for comment, Subway said that the store “was reinspected on the 11th September and awarded a hygiene rating of four.” Since this investigation, Subway’s online rating has indeed risen to a four. The FSA claims that results can take up to 28 days to be uploaded to their website, especially if a business has contested a result.
The Cumberland Stores Premier in Devonport was found to be showing a rating of four on their door, but they were rated a one in April of last year. When contacted for comment, they told us that there had been a misunderstanding around the display of the sticker and that it had been removed. They also told us that the lower score was due to having more than five staff, but only one sink on the premises.
Another business, the Plymouth Butcher Shop on Frankfort Gate, was showing two signs with a rating of five on them, but they were rated a one in May of this year. When we spoke to them, they told us that they “didn’t notice this sticker because the door is closed and we don’t use it”. They have since removed the ratings from their windows.
This store is located opposite the office of Luke Pollard, who is the MP for the area. He said that he “took any possibility of incorrect food hygiene ratings very seriously” and that “It is vital that businesses are honest and transparent about their food hygiene ratings”.
Food hygiene inspections are not carried out by the FSA but by a food safety officer from the local council.
A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said:
“While businesses in England are not required to display their food hygiene rating, any ratings displayed should be current and accurate.
"Any businesses displaying an outdated or incorrect rating will be asked to remove it or replace it with a correct rating.
"If a business fails to remove an inaccurate rating, we can take enforcement action in liaison with our trading standards colleagues.
"You can check a food hygiene rating for a business on the food standards agency website.”
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