WIREDGOV

The last thing you want is for anything to spoil your Valentine’s meal out, and a new FSA poll shows that 1 in 5 has had a dating disaster on Valentine’s day. So this year, we’ve teamed up with Hugo Taylor to remind you to check the restaurant’s food hygiene rating.

The poll by the FSA shows that bad restaurant experiences are responsible for a third (34%) of those Valentine’s day dating disasters, and 36% of daters report that getting food poisoning from a restaurant is the worst thing that could happen to them on Valentine’s Day – even ahead of getting dumped (29%). However, less than half of those asked check the food hygiene rating of a restaurant before booking their Valentine’s meal.

The truth is, you can’t tell a restaurant’s hygiene standards by how clean and tidy their staff look or by the romantic ambience. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme can take one load off your mind. It gives you the reassurance that all areas of food hygiene that you can’t see have been checked.

The rating tells you about hygiene standards in restaurants and other food businesses and is determined by local authority food safety officers and range from 0-5, with a 5 rating meaning very good food hygiene standards. Over 90% of food businesses are rated a 3 or higher, which means there are plenty of places with good standards to choose from.

So, if you don’t see a green and black sticker in the window or you spot a low rating online, check out somewhere else with a higher rating.   You can even check the ratings on your mobile or tablet. www.food.gov.uk/ratings

With love from us at the Food Standards Agency

Look before you book this Valentine's Day 

A Valentine's Day meal needs to be special. After choosing flowers or chocolates, the next big question is where to go for that romantic meal. Our campaign thinks of you. Whether you’re planning to book early or deciding on the day, keep hygiene standards in mind when choosing where to eat. It's easy to look before you book at www.food.gov.uk/ratings.