New App To Drive Up Food Hygiene Standards In Merton

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Get 'Scores on the Doors' while on the move

A new iphone 'app' revealing the 'Scores on the Doors' hygiene star rating of restaurants and other food premises in Merton has just been launched.

Merton has been operating the nationally-known Scores on the Doors rating scheme for the past year, with food businesses being awarded up to five stars for the cleanliness of their premises. There are 532 restaurants in the borough with four or more stars.

iphone users can now download the Scores on the Doors app for free from iTunes to find the star rating for any restaurant, takeaway or retailer in the borough. 

The app, which covers London and various other UK locations, can be downloaded from the appstore by searching for "Food Hygiene".

For those without an iPhone, the WAP browser on most mobiles can also access the information at www.sotd.tv.

Or you can send a text message with the name of a business, followed by the town or area to 60060. You will then be sent a text (at a cost of 50p, plus the normal network charge) showing the star rating. Online results are also available at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

Andrew Judge, Merton Council cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration Councillor, said: "We have 532 restaurants in the borough with four stars or more for hygiene which gives all of us who want to enjoy an evening out with friends the reassurance that our restaurants are in top condition. The new app will enable customers to easily make an informed decision about where they want to eat out."

Steve Miller, Chair of the Association of London Environmental Health Managers said: "I welcome this example of London borough environmental health staff working together with Transparency Data to inform consumers about the standard of food safety attained by businesses.

"Access to safe food is essential in order to protect the public health of residents and the millions of people who work or visit the capital each year. The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games are fast approaching and they are bringing with them a worldwide focus on the capital. Introducing the initiative now will help raise the awareness of businesses and their responsibilities, and by making the information easily available to customers, we encourage them to use it when they make decisions about where they eat." 

Find out more about the scheme at www.merton.gov.uk/scores_on__the__doors

July 26, 2010