Preston City Council has taken inspiration from America in its latest attempt to improve food hygiene standards across the city.
The Preston FoodSafe scheme displays hygiene scores for Preston’s restaurants and takeaways on the Internet, in order to encourage businesses to increase their compliance levels of food hygiene.
Those that score well are also given certificates that they can showcase in their windows; an idea taken from San Francisco, where it is compulsory for businesses to prove their hygiene ratings to the public.
Preston’s Environmental Health Manager Simon Neighbour said: "The Council has changed the ways inspections are run to achieve more positive outcomes. We need to put pressure on businesses to improve, and give them the fear of customers shopping elsewhere.
"‘Scores on doors’ is a great way of letting the public know which places are the best to visit".
The Council notified businesses of the scheme before it was launched, giving them the opportunity to seek advice about the inspections.
Simon said: "We sent letters to the places where cross contamination was previously noted as a factor of concern, but nobody contacted us for advice.
"We also sent out self-assessment checklists, which outlined all of the areas inspectors check when they visit places."
These included factors such as food waste, personal hygiene, pest control and cleaning schedules.
Preston FoodSafe works around a star rating scheme; three to five stars represent average performance and above, and zero to two stars indicate poorer practise.
Ninety five per cent of Preston’s premises received three stars or more, and Simon confirms that the scheme is helping to improve food hygiene levels throughout the city.
He said: "Formal action is taken towards the businesses which receive no stars. We can get the police involved, and some businesses may go to court."
Alternatively, emergency closures require businesses to shut for a few days to improve hygiene standards before re-opening.
The Council may also issue fines, and the case of the Toy Soldier pub at Deepdale Retail Park showed the influence that these types of inspections can have on businesses.
Simon said: "The Toy Solider was fined £25,000, which isn’t much for a large company like that. But the bad publicity meant that it was shut down and demolished. That was an extreme case of public pressure."
The FoodSafe scores determine the frequency of check-ups from the Council. The worst places have full inspections every six months, with check-ups in between, and those that are broadly compliant are inspected every 12 months.
Simon describes these visits as being more "friendly and educational", saying that if businesses are receptive to the Council’s advice and encouragement, "they win, and the public win".
Large businesses such as McDonalds and KFC show high standards of hygiene, operating regular alarms to remind staff to frequently wash their hands.
Preston’s McDonalds, KFC, Subway and Figaro’s Takeaway all scored five stars.
But as the Preston FoodSafe scheme takes into account the nature of the business and the number of consumers potentially at risk, small owner-operated businesses have just as much chance of receiving five stars as the multi-million pound national chains do.
Takeaways Naafiah, Red Onion, Shanghai House and Spicy Delights were the only places to receive no stars.
View Larger Map
(This Google Map shows some of the restaurants and takeaways that were inspected through the Preston FoodSafe scheme. The green markers represent those premises which received five stars, yellow represents three stars, and the red markers represent those which received either one or no stars.)
Simon said: "Food hygiene is very straightforward, but if you’re work shy, you’re in the wrong business".
He added: "Customers can usually tell which places to be cautious of. If there are weeds outside and flaking paint on the building, it’s probably not going to be much better inside.
"Those are the areas owners can make as impressive as possible, so if they can’t be bothered making an effort there, it’s unlikely they’ll be bothered making an effort in the kitchen."
Preston FoodSafe also inspects cafes, supermarkets, market stalls, bakeries, butchers, schools, hotels, residential homes and hospitals.
Further information can be found at The Food Standards Agency web link, and the Agency’s Code of Practice web link.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Internet teaches children about nutrition
Preston City Council has introduced new healthy eating schemes with primary schools, in an effort to teach children about nutrition.
Following the success of the Preston FoodSafe scheme, which displayed inspection results of Preston’s takeaways and restaurants on the Internet, the Council is now keen to engage the public with healthy eating.
Preston’s Environmental Health Manager Simon Neighbour said: "Food poisoning kills two people a day in the UK, but a further 120 die from diet related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease".
The Recipe for Health scheme encourages children to take an interest in eating healthy foods by engaging them in fun activities, such as "Face Fruit" painting, which teaches them the advantages of eating fruit every day.
"Secret Agent" weeks involve children spying on their parents at home in order to educate them about healthy lifestyles outside of school.
The Food Standards Agency has also set up the Cooking Bus scheme, which travels around the country to engage children in interactive cooking sessions in their state-of-the-art mobile kitchen.
Alongside this, children and parents can also visit The Food Standards Agency Eatwell website, which includes information about nutrition, hygiene standards, diet related diseases and exercising.
The Eatwell Plate uses colourful photographs to demonstrate the different food groups that should be incorporated into a healthy diet, such as vegetables, meat, bread and dairy.
The character "Virtual Sam" helps children understand the importance of these food groups through short video clips. She discusses issues such as why children should never miss breakfast, and offers advice on substituting fatty foods for healthier versions, such as having chicken burgers instead of beef burgers.
Interactive elements are also available to help children relate to the information. Games such as The Barbeque Game and The Healthy Lunchbox allow children to test their knowledge on how to cook foods properly, and how to ensure they get enough nutrition from their school dinners.
Quizzes for older children help them identify where to make adjustments in their eating habits, and advice is provided for sensible snacking and eating takeaway foods.
Interactivity is also useful for parents. BMI calculators determine whether a child is scientifically classed as healthy, underweight or obese, in relation to their height and weight.
The calorie calculator shows how many calories can be burnt from doing various exercises, from playing football and tennis, to cleaning the windows and ironing!
Charts and tables are a quick and easy way for people to calculate if their weight is proportional to their height and waist measurement, and what classifies as one portion of fruit or vegetable.
Luckily McDonalds, whose Preston’s branch received five stars for hygiene standards through the FoodSafe scheme, offers a variety of healthy foods in its children’s Happy Meals, such as fruit bags and carrots sticks.
The McDonalds website includes a "Be Active" section to "help inspire children to be more active", and the "Eat Smart" section includes a nutrition counter to show customers how many grams of salt and fat contribute to their chosen meals.
Following the success of the Preston FoodSafe scheme, which displayed inspection results of Preston’s takeaways and restaurants on the Internet, the Council is now keen to engage the public with healthy eating.
Preston’s Environmental Health Manager Simon Neighbour said: "Food poisoning kills two people a day in the UK, but a further 120 die from diet related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease".
The Recipe for Health scheme encourages children to take an interest in eating healthy foods by engaging them in fun activities, such as "Face Fruit" painting, which teaches them the advantages of eating fruit every day.
"Secret Agent" weeks involve children spying on their parents at home in order to educate them about healthy lifestyles outside of school.
The Food Standards Agency has also set up the Cooking Bus scheme, which travels around the country to engage children in interactive cooking sessions in their state-of-the-art mobile kitchen.
Alongside this, children and parents can also visit The Food Standards Agency Eatwell website, which includes information about nutrition, hygiene standards, diet related diseases and exercising.
The Eatwell Plate uses colourful photographs to demonstrate the different food groups that should be incorporated into a healthy diet, such as vegetables, meat, bread and dairy.
The character "Virtual Sam" helps children understand the importance of these food groups through short video clips. She discusses issues such as why children should never miss breakfast, and offers advice on substituting fatty foods for healthier versions, such as having chicken burgers instead of beef burgers.
Interactive elements are also available to help children relate to the information. Games such as The Barbeque Game and The Healthy Lunchbox allow children to test their knowledge on how to cook foods properly, and how to ensure they get enough nutrition from their school dinners.
Quizzes for older children help them identify where to make adjustments in their eating habits, and advice is provided for sensible snacking and eating takeaway foods.
Interactivity is also useful for parents. BMI calculators determine whether a child is scientifically classed as healthy, underweight or obese, in relation to their height and weight.
The calorie calculator shows how many calories can be burnt from doing various exercises, from playing football and tennis, to cleaning the windows and ironing!
Charts and tables are a quick and easy way for people to calculate if their weight is proportional to their height and waist measurement, and what classifies as one portion of fruit or vegetable.
ONE portion = 80g = any of these
1 apple, banana, pear,
orange or other similar sized fruit
2 plums or similar sized fruit
½ a grapefruit or avocado
1 slice of large fruit, such as melon or pineapple
3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
3 heaped tablespoons of beans and pulses (however much you eat, beans and pulses
count as a maximum of one portion a day)
3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad
(fresh or tinned in fruit juice) or stewed fruit
1 heaped tablespoon of
dried fruit (such as raisins and apricots)
1 handful of grapes, cherries or berries
a dessert bowl of salad
a glass (150ml) of fruit juice (however
much you drink, fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day)
Luckily McDonalds, whose Preston’s branch received five stars for hygiene standards through the FoodSafe scheme, offers a variety of healthy foods in its children’s Happy Meals, such as fruit bags and carrots sticks.
The McDonalds website includes a "Be Active" section to "help inspire children to be more active", and the "Eat Smart" section includes a nutrition counter to show customers how many grams of salt and fat contribute to their chosen meals.
Letter sent to premises prior to the launch of Preston FoodSafe
Dear Sir/madam
Preston FoodSafe – hygiene rating scheme
In the last two copies of the newsletter "Good Health, Good Business", I have made reference to a "Scores on the Doors" scheme which will see the hygiene score of food businesses in Preston displayed on the Council website. You are also one of the 134 premises I wrote to last year confirming your previous food hygiene performance, and stating that an improvement was needed.
I am writing to you now to advise you that the scheme has been completed and will be going live next week. At that time, anyone with access to the internet will see your hygiene score.
I am writing to you specifically, as your business is one of 8 which have scored in the lowest two categories – 0 or 1 star rating. At the time of your last inspection, cross contamination was noted as a factor of particular concern, which is part of the reason your premises has scored poorly.
At the time of your next inspection, if you have improved sufficiently, your score will improve. If you are in any doubt as to how you can do this, or wish to discuss the contents of this letter further, you should contact the last inspecting officer, or call 01772 906907.
Yours faithfully
Simon Neighbour
Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner
Environmental Health Manager
01772 906907
Preston FoodSafe – hygiene rating scheme
In the last two copies of the newsletter "Good Health, Good Business", I have made reference to a "Scores on the Doors" scheme which will see the hygiene score of food businesses in Preston displayed on the Council website. You are also one of the 134 premises I wrote to last year confirming your previous food hygiene performance, and stating that an improvement was needed.
I am writing to you now to advise you that the scheme has been completed and will be going live next week. At that time, anyone with access to the internet will see your hygiene score.
I am writing to you specifically, as your business is one of 8 which have scored in the lowest two categories – 0 or 1 star rating. At the time of your last inspection, cross contamination was noted as a factor of particular concern, which is part of the reason your premises has scored poorly.
At the time of your next inspection, if you have improved sufficiently, your score will improve. If you are in any doubt as to how you can do this, or wish to discuss the contents of this letter further, you should contact the last inspecting officer, or call 01772 906907.
Yours faithfully
Simon Neighbour
Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner
Environmental Health Manager
01772 906907
FoodSafe self-assessment checklist
The following table lists all those areas inspectors check when they do a visit.
Wash hand basins - Are they easily accessible? Is there hot and cold water? Is soap available? Are clean hand towels available?
Toilet facilities - Are they separate from food handling and storage areas? Is there ventilation?
Changing facilities - Do staff have somewhere to hang their outdoor coats when they get to work? Are there clean work clothes available?
Food waste - Is food waste stored properly? Is the bin area clean? Is there any sign of rats or mice in the area?
Washing food - If food is washed, is it protected from contamination from other raw food?
Lighting - Is there enough natural or artificial light? Are light tubes fitted with diffusers to protect them?
Drainage - Are drains clear? Are grilles needed and fitted? Are they in good condition?
Washing equipment - Is there a separate sink for washing equipment? Can you use it without contaminating foods that need washing?
Sickness policy - Do you and your staff know when you should not be in work? What are typical food poisoning symptoms? How long should you not handle food for after you’ve had food poisoning symptoms?
Ventilation - Are the kitchen and other food rooms properly ventilated? Does ventilation stop insect pests getting in? Is ducting cleaned properly? How often?
Personal hygiene - Do staff wash their hands often? Do staff wear jewellery? Should they? Are staff wearing a uniform or apron?
Pest control - Are rooms where food is handled pest proof? Do you have electronic fly killers in the right places?
Training & Supervision - Are all staff trained in food hygiene to a level appropriate for the work they do? Do you do any refresher training? How often?
Traceability - Can you identify where different ingredients have come from/ Are they clearly date marked? How often do you check?
Cleaning schedules/checklists - How often do you carry out a deep clean? When does equipment get moved? Are the right cleaning chemicals used? Are there clean clothes for staff to use? Do you have disinfectants and detergents? How should they be used?
General structure - Is the premises in good condition and repair? Are the floors easy to clean? Are there any gaps or cracks in the floor that should be properly sealed? Is lino in good condition, or does it need replacing? Are the walls easy to clean? Are ceramic tiles in good condition? Are some cracked or missing or need replacing? Is paint in good condition? Are there areas of flaking paint that need treating? Are ceilings easy to clean? Are suspended ceiling tiles in place and clean? Is paintwork in good condition? Are equipment surfaces in good condition? Are worktops easy to clean? Are the edges of melamine worktops sealed? Are windows closed or do they have insect screens fitted? Are the frames in good condition? Is paint flaking and needs replacing?
Purchase and receipt - Is the condition of the packaging and food checked? Is the date code checked? Is the delivery temperature checked? What should it be? Is there separation of raw and ready to eat food? How do you make sure your staff do this?
Storage - Are storage temperatures checked? How? What temperature should fridges run at? What about freezers? Is there separation of raw and ready to eat foods in storage? How is this achieved? Is this checked? What happens if food is stored incorrectly? How is the shelf life of food indicated? What happens if food is taken out of its packaging and put into other containers – how is the use by date recorded then?
Preparation - How long are high risk foods kept out of refrigerators during preparation? What is cross contamination? How is it controlled? How do you check staff take appropriate care?
Cooking - How are products checked to make sure they are cooked?
Cooling - What foods need to be cooled at your premises? How long does it take for foods to cool? Where are they placed while cooling? Are they protected form contamination?
Display, sale, hot and cold holding - How are hot foods kept hot? Are temperatures checked? What temperature should they be kept at? How are cold foods kept cold? Are temperatures checked? What temperature should they be kept at? Are any foods kept at ambient temperature? How long for? What time limits are in place for hot foods? What time limits are in place for cold foods?
Distribution from premises - Is there a take-away service from your premises? Do you deliver foods? Have temperatures at delivery been checked?
Food Safety Management System - Do you have a written food safety management system? Have you identified important points in the business where food safety checks should be carried out? Do you have written records of these important food safety checks? When was your written system last checked, to make sure it is still up to date? Are staff familiar with your system?
Wash hand basins - Are they easily accessible? Is there hot and cold water? Is soap available? Are clean hand towels available?
Toilet facilities - Are they separate from food handling and storage areas? Is there ventilation?
Changing facilities - Do staff have somewhere to hang their outdoor coats when they get to work? Are there clean work clothes available?
Food waste - Is food waste stored properly? Is the bin area clean? Is there any sign of rats or mice in the area?
Washing food - If food is washed, is it protected from contamination from other raw food?
Lighting - Is there enough natural or artificial light? Are light tubes fitted with diffusers to protect them?
Drainage - Are drains clear? Are grilles needed and fitted? Are they in good condition?
Washing equipment - Is there a separate sink for washing equipment? Can you use it without contaminating foods that need washing?
Sickness policy - Do you and your staff know when you should not be in work? What are typical food poisoning symptoms? How long should you not handle food for after you’ve had food poisoning symptoms?
Ventilation - Are the kitchen and other food rooms properly ventilated? Does ventilation stop insect pests getting in? Is ducting cleaned properly? How often?
Personal hygiene - Do staff wash their hands often? Do staff wear jewellery? Should they? Are staff wearing a uniform or apron?
Pest control - Are rooms where food is handled pest proof? Do you have electronic fly killers in the right places?
Training & Supervision - Are all staff trained in food hygiene to a level appropriate for the work they do? Do you do any refresher training? How often?
Traceability - Can you identify where different ingredients have come from/ Are they clearly date marked? How often do you check?
Cleaning schedules/checklists - How often do you carry out a deep clean? When does equipment get moved? Are the right cleaning chemicals used? Are there clean clothes for staff to use? Do you have disinfectants and detergents? How should they be used?
General structure - Is the premises in good condition and repair? Are the floors easy to clean? Are there any gaps or cracks in the floor that should be properly sealed? Is lino in good condition, or does it need replacing? Are the walls easy to clean? Are ceramic tiles in good condition? Are some cracked or missing or need replacing? Is paint in good condition? Are there areas of flaking paint that need treating? Are ceilings easy to clean? Are suspended ceiling tiles in place and clean? Is paintwork in good condition? Are equipment surfaces in good condition? Are worktops easy to clean? Are the edges of melamine worktops sealed? Are windows closed or do they have insect screens fitted? Are the frames in good condition? Is paint flaking and needs replacing?
Purchase and receipt - Is the condition of the packaging and food checked? Is the date code checked? Is the delivery temperature checked? What should it be? Is there separation of raw and ready to eat food? How do you make sure your staff do this?
Storage - Are storage temperatures checked? How? What temperature should fridges run at? What about freezers? Is there separation of raw and ready to eat foods in storage? How is this achieved? Is this checked? What happens if food is stored incorrectly? How is the shelf life of food indicated? What happens if food is taken out of its packaging and put into other containers – how is the use by date recorded then?
Preparation - How long are high risk foods kept out of refrigerators during preparation? What is cross contamination? How is it controlled? How do you check staff take appropriate care?
Cooking - How are products checked to make sure they are cooked?
Cooling - What foods need to be cooled at your premises? How long does it take for foods to cool? Where are they placed while cooling? Are they protected form contamination?
Display, sale, hot and cold holding - How are hot foods kept hot? Are temperatures checked? What temperature should they be kept at? How are cold foods kept cold? Are temperatures checked? What temperature should they be kept at? Are any foods kept at ambient temperature? How long for? What time limits are in place for hot foods? What time limits are in place for cold foods?
Distribution from premises - Is there a take-away service from your premises? Do you deliver foods? Have temperatures at delivery been checked?
Food Safety Management System - Do you have a written food safety management system? Have you identified important points in the business where food safety checks should be carried out? Do you have written records of these important food safety checks? When was your written system last checked, to make sure it is still up to date? Are staff familiar with your system?
Preston FoodSafe Google Map
This map shows some of the restaurants and takeaways that were inspected through the Preston FoodSafe scheme. The green markers represents the premises which received five stars, the yellow represent three stars, and the red markers represent those places which received either one or no stars.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
"Journalism is not dead — it’s all over the Internet"
There is no doubt that the world of journalism is currently experiencing an "ice age", freezing out the dinosaurs (newspapers) and making way for an evolution of the digital newsroom.
Some people welcome this change. They are the ones smart enough to recognise that the expansion of online journalism is inevitable, given the inconveniences of newspapers, and who have set up their own blogs in response to this.
Kaye Sweetster focuses on blogs for much of her research on mass communication, and says that "it now appears there is much more to examine in regards to the impact of blogs on society, personal communication, and the media.
"The mainstream press seems to have ended its love affair with blogs in that there are more “scare” stories out there talking about the *dangers* of blogs".
This suggests a more pessimistic view regarding the developments of online journalism; accusing it of pushing journalism towards a point where news is no longer about facts and objectivity, but is more concerned with comments and opinions.
Blogs are an opportunity for users to regurgitate news, and in doing so, taking away the "new" element that is necessary for something to be considered newsworthy.
Robert Niles considers such concerns in his Online Journalism Review Blog, saying that blogs are a ""parasitic" medium, that wouldn't be able to exist without the reporting done at newspapers".
He says: "You bust your rear to get stories in the paper, then watch bloggers grab traffic talking about your work. All the while your bosses are laying off other reporters, citing circulation declines, as analysts talk about newspapers losing audiences to the Web."
An example of news outlets responding to this new demand can be seen on NME's website. The "news" element of the Mariah Carey story is very brief and short, and the website is more focused on showing users the various links that they can follow in order to access more multimedia based material and comments. Links to external websites offer users the chance to listen to songs, watch videos, order ring tones and join forums related to Mariah Carey.
The website also advertises sites such as Google and YouTube to give users even more material based around their topic of interest.
This could lead to the criticism that the digital newsroom is a form of anti-journalism, in which some users are no longer interested in the traditional aspects of journalism, and would rather get involved in a culture where "everyone's" a journalist, so to speak.
However, Niles goes on to say that "even "parasitic" blogs provide value beyond the original news reports they cite, (because) Blogs animate the news for readers that newspapers alone don't always reach."
He uses this "Bloggers vs. Journalists" debate as a basis for explaining the advantages of Google Trends. Here is my example of how often users search "bloggers" in comparison to "journalists" for general searches and news:
It shows that currently, Google users are interested in bloggers and journalists fairly equally, which is a good sign for anyone concerned that traditional journalism is losing out to the more contemporary form of blogging.
However, this still poses problems for print journalism, and as Roy Greenslade points out, many people in this profession are losing their jobs as a result of more advanced technology taking on their previous roles.
He asks the question, is "a future on screen, a future with many fewer journalists?" And evidently, it appears the answer is "yes!" Especially for sub editors, who Greenslade predicts "will be the first journalistic victims of the digital revolution".
So how should people respond to this new "ice age" for journalism? In my opinion, we can only make the most of it. Newspapers are good for long analysis and features, but so is online, which is also much more urgent and immediate, so it should come as no surprise that the digital newsroom is presenting print journalism with tough competition.
And Mindy McAdams agrees, saying that "Journalism is not newspapers", but nor is it "dead — it’s all over the Internet".
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