Food rating lies exposed by BBC secret recording

Published On Oct 7, 2024, 12:39 AM

An undercover BBC investigation revealed that many food establishments in London, including major chain Sainsbury's, have been falsely advertising their food hygiene ratings. This deception, which affected both small local businesses and supermarket chains, involved displaying higher ratings than were officially recorded, leading to potential consumer health risks. The investigation uncovered that some places had serious hygiene violations, including pest infestations and unclean conditions, and raised concerns about the effectiveness of England's voluntary food hygiene rating display system. Following the findings, Sainsbury's improved its hygiene rating from zero to three, but other establishments remained unresponsive or unrepentant. Food safety lawyer Jon Payne highlighted the seriousness of these actions, indicating they could constitute fraud.