Seven NI Councils Join Food Hygiene Scheme

Seven new councils in Northern Ireland have signed up to a food hygiene scheme where restaurants display their rating in the window and online.

Northern Ireland has the highest UK rate of retailers displaying the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, with 50% of venues showing their sign with a rating on a scale on one to five.

The new councils will push Northern Ireland closer to the Food Standards Agency’s goal of having all local authorities signed up to the ratings scheme.

The seven councils pushing Northern Ireland’s total to 24 are Antrim, Ballymena, Limavady, Lisburn, Moyle, Larne and Newtownabbey, who all joined today (Monday June 25).

The remaining two councils are due to join later this year.

Michael Jackson of the Food Standards Agency told the BBC the scheme had received a positive response since it was introduced just over a year ago.

He said: "It is providing businesses with the motivation to improve their standards, which is good for everyone."