Rating system introduced for eateries

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 19:15, Jan 20, 2019 | Updated : 19:26, Jan 20, 2019

Combination of photos shows A+ and A rating boards. People in Dhaka will now get an idea of what to expect from a restaurant at the front door by colour-coded stickers.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has introduced a rating system for eateries based on the quality of food and overall hygiene of an establishment.
Stickers in green, blue, yellow and orange are used to signify the rating of A+, A, B and C respectively awarded to the restaurants after scrutiny.
A+ would mean excellent, A good, B average and C rate pending.
The BFSA, on Sunday (Jan 20), launched it by initially assigning grades and handing over stickers to 57 eateries in the capital—A+ ratings for 18 and A for the remaining 39.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder officially inaugurated the new rating system at an event at a hotel in city’s Paltan.
Urging restaurateurs to maintain the quality of food, he said, “I hope those who secured A+ and A grades today will work to keep it that way … You have to put food safety before making more profit.”
An ‘A’ rate signboard is seen hanging on wall at a Dhaka restaurant.Addressing the event, Dhaka South City Mayor Sayeed Khokon said that recognition means more business which means more profit.
“But no one can guarantee that the food quality at some of these restaurants with good ratings will not drop. I urge the food safety authority for regular monitoring,” he added.
The BFSA is using the internationally-accredited system for the ratings, said its chairman Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque.
“We have introduced the system as restaurateurs sought for a permanent solution rather than being slapped fines by mobile courts repeatedly. Eateries across the country will be covered in this rating system gradually,” he said at the inaugural ceremony.
The BFSA has set a 53-point checklist of compliance standards in 10 categories that include: necessary proof/certification documents, individual hygiene, approved source, relative contamination, cleanliness, processing procedures and temperature control, equipment/ machinery, chemical substance, pests and insects control, and drainage and pipe management.
Restaurants with a score of 90 and over will get A+ rating, 80 points and up will get A, between 55 and 79 points will get B and between 45 and 54 points will get Grade C.
The rating system comes at a time when there has been a boom in eateries in Dhaka. From small restaurants to large foreign chains, there are restaurants at every nook and corner.

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