Improvements needed in food hygiene standards at six businesses across County Derry

Major improvement in food hygiene standards are needed at six businesses in County Derry, according to Food Standard Agency's hygiene ratings.

Businesses handling food are routinely inspected by food safety officers from local councils. They are then given a rating from 0-5 on their food hygiene, which must be displayed in a prominent place on the premises by law.

At the bottom of the scale, commonly referred to as the ‘scores on the doors’ is zero, which means that urgent improvement is required. At the top of the scale is five, which means the hygiene standards are very good. A rating of three stars or above is considered to be ‘generally satisfactory.’

Six businesses in Co Derry have a one star rating, meaning that major improvement is needed to bring hygiene practices up to the recommended standard.

Four companies were marked down only for ‘management of food safety,’ which looks at “system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.”

Taste of India in Maghera and The Roost Bar in Coleraine were both found to be ‘generally satisfactory’ in both hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, while food handling at Toner's Nisa Extra in Maghera was deemed ‘very good’ and the condition of facilities and building were ‘good.’

Improvement is recommended in all three areas at The Harbour Takeaway in Coleraine, while no detailed information on hygiene inspections at the Country Café in Swatragh and the Porterhouse in Coleraine are available.

Seven more businesses in the county received a two star rating, meaning that ‘improvement is necessary.’

According to Food Safety Officers, improvements should be made to the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building at, The Coast Bar and Restaurant in Magilligan, B&M Bargains in Magherafelt, Candy Choice in Derry city, and Higgins and Sons in Castlerock.

No detailed information on hygiene inspections at Rice Bowl in Derry is available.

All of the businesses have been inspected since last June, except for the Porterhouse in Coleraine, which was last assessed in November 2015.