More than 80 per cent of food businesses in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area have top hygiene rating

Five is the maximum rating that can be awarded to any food outlet, and 1,455 venues have attained that kind of excellence.

Meanwhile, 196 premises (11.3%) have been awarded a rating of 4; 62 (3.6%) have achieved a rating of 3; 14 (0.8%) only have a rating of 2; and six (0.3%) have only been awarded a rating of 1.

No food business ended up with a ‘0’ rating in the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council area.

Revisits are carried out at all 0, 1 and 2-rated premises, and where compliance is achieved the businesses are encouraged to apply for a FHRS revisit to have their rating reassessed.

To get the top rating of ‘5’, businesses must demonstrate a high standard of compliance in all three elements of the inspection, that is food hygiene and safety procedures, structural requirements, and confidence in management.

After inspection each business will receive a food hygiene rating and must display the rating sticker at each customer entrance to their premises.

The sticker must be positioned so that it can be readily seen and easily read by people before they enter the premises, when it is open for business.

After inspection food businesses operators can apply for a re-rating visit. Other safeguards for businesses include the option to appeal against a rating within 21 days, if they feel that the rating given after the inspection was unjust.

Within the ABC Borough there are 2,268 registered food business, of which 1,733 have received a valid rating.

Business ratings are published on the Food Standard Agency website at https://ratings.food.gov.uk