Perth and Kinross eateries are among the cleanest in the country, a study has revealed.
Almost 98% of restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways across the region have passed their food hygiene inspections, according to the most up-to-date figures from the Food Standards Agency.
The region ranked third out of 32 council areas, just behind the Orkney Islands and South Ayrshire.
Every business that serves food is awarded with a hygiene rating of either Pass or Improvement Required following an inspection. Only 2.2% of the food outlets in Perth and Kinross received the Improvement Required rating.
Other council districts with excellent pass rates include Orkney Islands, with all of its 111 eateries achieving a Pass; and South Ayrshire, with 99.8% of its 601 eateries passing their latest inspection, according to December’s figures.
The council’s community safety committee convener Douglas Pover welcomed the news.
He said: “This reflects our local businesses commitment to their customers and they are to congratulated in their application of stringent regulations to their food preparation practices and in doing so only serving quality safe food to their clients.
“As mentioned, Perth and Kinross Council participates in the Food Hygiene Information Scheme which allows Scottish consumers to see how well food businesses in their area have fared in their last food hygiene inspection.
“The Food Hygiene Information Scheme effectively ‘opens the door’ to the kitchen and/or food areas, increasing consumer confidence and helping people make informed choices about where they eat or buy their food.
“The scheme applies to all food outlets that supply food to consumers in Perth and Kinross. Each food outlet is asked to display a certificate on the door or window of their premises, saying whether they have passed their hygiene inspection or whether improvement is required.”
The study, carried out my LoveMyVouchers.co.uk, found Highland, City of Edinburgh and Moray to be the worst three council areas for food hygiene ratings.
Linda Firth, director of the company, said, “We conducted this study to raise awareness about food hygiene standards. When people only have a limited budget for eating out, they want to be sure they are spending their hard earned money in restaurants and cafes that care about food safety.”
