Towns and cities where you may just prefer to eat at home

‘Enforcement actions’

GOING out for dinner? After reading this you may not have the stomach for it.

Five Scottish councils have been named in the top 20 worst areas in Britain for food hygiene after a study by consumer group Which?

Falkirk, Glasgow and Edinburgh were listed among the top ten worst areas, while Perth and Kinross and Aberdeen were not far behind.

Which? analysed 390 local authorities, measuring percentages of high and mediumrisk businesses compliant with food hygiene standards.

Businesses from restaurants and gastropubs to home catering outfits and food vans all fall under council regulations, overseen by Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Falkirk was number six in the top ten worst local authorities – with more than 46 per cent of its 1,300 food businesses not meeting compliance standards in 2016-17. Glasgow was only one step behind at number seven. Of some 6,100 premises, nearly 29 per cent did not meet hygiene standards.

In Edinburgh, ranked eighth worst, almost 39 per cent of businesses did not comply with food safety regulations.

But Ian McWatt, director of operations at FSS, said: ‘Looking at percentages does not take into account the enforcement actions and other initiatives applied by local authorities.

‘Nor does it reflect the content and application of local authority enforcement policies and officer resources.’

Birmingham City Council was ranked as the worst UK area for food hygiene enforcement.