Check before you choose, on Mother's Day

Treating your mum to a meal out this Mother’s Day (Sunday 10 March)? Make sure you show her you care by checking the food hygiene inspection result, as well as the menu, before you make a booking.

Your mum's favourite restaurant might look amazing and be getting great reviews, but you can’t judge hygiene by appearance alone. Which is why the Food Standards Agency in Scotland (FSAS), in partnership with local authorities, introduced the Food Hygiene Information Scheme. Think of it as a way to see 'inside' the restaurant kitchens and get some ‘behind the scenes’ information to help you make an informed choice.

When dining out, especially with loved ones, it's common to choose a place where you like the food and you know you’ll have a good time. However, it also makes sense to check out the food hygiene inspection result as well.

About food hygiene inspection results

Restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafés, takeaways and other places that sell or serve food are given a food hygiene inspection result – ‘Pass’ or ‘Improvement required’ – when they are inspected by a food safety officer. A business with a ‘Pass’ has good hygiene standards and every outlet should be able to achieve this.

You might be surprised by some of the results. It's possible that a small cafe might have a Pass and a smart, expensive restaurant be assessed as Improvement Required.

How to check
It’s easy to check out the inspection results by looking them up online at: food.gov.uk/ratings or by downloading our free ‘food hygiene’ app. You can also look out for the distinctive blue Pass certificates and stickers that businesses are encouraged to display.

Putting the consumer first

Peter Midgley, head of enforcement FSAS, said: ‘The FHIS is all about putting the consumer first, giving people useful information on which to base their choice of where to eat. The FSA is working in partnership with local authorities to roll out this scheme nationally in Scotland. We recommend that when you eat out you choose the places with a “Pass”.’

With over 130,000 cases of food poisoning in Scotland last year, 2.330 requiring hospitalisation, it's worth checking. Nobody wants to have Mother’s Day ruined, but you can help prevent that by checking out your choices first, before you book.