Published on:
11
February 2013
The coffee shop, BB's Coffee and Muffins at Sterling Mills, Tillicoultry was this week awarded the Food Standards Agency Eat Safe Award in recognition of excellence in food hygiene and food safety management.
This award was introduced by the Food Standards Agency as a way of recognising businesses which go above and beyond the requirements of current legislation and meet the highest standards of food hygiene.
Environmental Health were delighted to nominate BB's Coffee and Muffins for this award.
The coffee shop was presented with the certificate by Clackmannanshire Council's Enterprise and Environment Convener, Councillor Donald Balsillie.
"The manager of the shop, Tracey Herning, and her team have worked hard to maintain an excellent hygiene standard. They are to be congratulated for their hard work and effort put into achieving this award," said Councillor Balsillie.
"The main aim of the scheme is to provide an incentive to food businesses to strive for food hygiene and food safety excellence by effectively implementing management standards beyond those required by law."
BB's Coffee and Muffin's Eat Safe Award status will be displayed online at the Food Standards Agency 's Food Hygiene Information Scheme website (www.food.gov.uk/ratings). The Food Standard Agency's Eat Safe Award was launched in Scotland in January 2005. This site informs the public how well businesses did at their last food hygiene inspection. Results for over 29,000 businesses across Scotland can be accessed online.
The award certificates, which are displayed in premises, also help consumers make informed choices about where to eat out by providing a recognisable 'sign' of excellence in standards of food hygiene.
Eat Safe awards are administered by local council Environmental Health in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency Scotland. Eat Safe is proving extremely successful as the number of food businesses meeting the award criteria continues to grow.
The Food Standard Agency's Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) was launched within Clackmannanshire in May 2011.
Councillor Balsillie added: "Its aim is to allow consumers to clearly differentiate between businesses that have been inspected and found to meet statutory requirements from those that require improvement."
The scheme will include cafes, takeaways, restaurants, hotels, local convenience stores and supermarkets. New businesses will be initially issued with an 'Awaiting Inspection' certificate until a full inspection can be undertaken.
This scheme was developed by the Food Standards Agency, Scotland in partnership with consumer, local authority and industry representatives and was piloted by five Scottish Authorities from November 2006 for two years. Since then the scheme has grown significantly. Clackmannanshire Council was the 20th Scottish Local Authority to launch.
For further information about the Eat Safe Award or Food Hygiene Information Scheme contact Environmental Health on 01259 450000 or email ehealth@clacks.gov.uk.