Re-inspection a key issue in the Scores on the Doors scheme (SoD), said food businesses at a private CMi seminar.

Representatives from both industry and the regulators met to discuss the implications of SoD - the scheme whereby local authorities publish the hygiene scores of food businesses in their area with the aim of driving up hygiene standards and cutting food poisoning risks.

There are numerous different schemes all based around ‘stars’ or ‘points’ systems which represent how well a business has scored in its latest inspection by the environmental health officer. Local authorities are encouraging business to display their scores on the door of the premises - hence the name.

Fairness and consistency are a must if SoD is to go national as ultimately intended by the Food Standards Agency, and top of the list is the need to put in place a re-inspection process for businesses that feel their score is unfair, or if they have made improvements since the last inspection.

Currently there is no definitive intention to offer a re-inspection visit in many of the 100 local authorities where the scheme is being piloted.

The problem is that local authorities lack the resources to easily facilitate re-inspections on demand and several delegates pointed out that this was not necessarily the best way to use scarce resource intended for public protection.

While the SoD scheme undoubtedly has benefits for consumers and well-run businesses, there are several important issues that need to be resolved if the scheme is, as ultimately intended, to go national. Not least that consumers are likely to find the different schemes and scores difficult to understand.