The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is calling on people in Wales to check the food hygiene ratings of restaurants before booking Christmas meals out with family and friends, as a new survey reveals that almost a third of Welsh people (32%) report that they plan to book their festive meals during this week or next.

Over three-quarters of people (77%) say that they will be involved in booking or organising a meal for family and friends this Christmas, with meal planners’ biggest worries being that the food won’t be enjoyable (27%) and that people won’t have a good time (19%). However, only 4% of people reported that the restaurant hygiene was a top concern.

Although it is mandatory for Welsh food businesses (inspected after the end of November 2013) to display their food hygiene rating on the premises, the FSA is reminding those making bookings in advance to check the FSA website to ensure the establishment has high food hygiene standards.

In Wales, 43% of people say they have had a bad experience when eating out, suspecting that they have had food poisoning from a restaurant or takeaway.

Nina Purcell, Director of the Food Standards Agency in Wales said: “Nobody wants the embarrassment of booking a Christmas meal that is less than perfect. The people we spoke to through our poll spend a lot of time and effort in planning festive meals to make sure their family and friends have a good time, so it’s important not to forget to check the food hygiene rating before deciding where to go.

“We are urging everybody to ‘look before they book’ this Christmas. It’s quick and easy to check a restaurant’s food hygiene rating online – just go to the FSA website: www.food.gov/ratings. If you’re out and about, you can also check for the green and black ratings sticker and if you can’t see one just ask.”

Environmental Health Officer, Emma Richbell said: “Most restaurants have a rating of 3 or above, however, as an inspector, I often think consumers would be surprised at which restaurants fall short of good practice. I’d urge everybody to look at the official food hygiene rating, rather than chance it by choosing a place that they think will be okay.”

Every business in Wales is given a ‘hygiene rating’, which shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law, as part of the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme. All businesses display a green and black sticker in the window or on the door with their rating and all the results are available online for consumers to search. Displaying a rating sticker is compulsory for food businesses inspected after end November 2013 in Wales, but not in the rest of the UK.

For more information or to check the food hygiene rating of your local restaurant, takeaway or cafe visit: www.food.gov.uk/ratings