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A term originating in widespread public use with the TV Show The Generation Game in regards to the points scored by contestants, Scores on the doors is now more widely recognised as a term for publication or display of food hygiene inspection results. UK scheme On 1 January 2005 the UK Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations came into effect and local councils slowly began to publish the information on the internet. However, there was no uniform grading system and councils were free to choose their own schemes, thus making comparison difficult. On 10 December 2008 the Food Standards Agency (FSA) board decided to approve a 6-tier scheme called the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a 2-tier (Pass/Improvement required) Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS)for Scotland. From November 2013 it became compulsory for food businesses in Wales to display stickers, similar legislation came into force in Northern Ireland in October 2016. In June 2020 a FSA consumer tracker survey shows that 86% of consumers in England are in favour of compulsory display. However in September 2022 draft for this was further delayed until at least mid 2023, due to government priorities. The official UK government ratings website includes ratings for all UK regions and is mobile device friendly, although no app is provided. The FSA data is publicly available for download Other commercial websites and smartphone apps are also available, together with reporting and analysis software to enable businesses to performance manage their compliance and compare with their competitors. Australia In Australia, where national food safety standards are brought into force by state government statutes and enforced at the state or local level, the New South Wales Food Authority commenced a pilot program with local governments in 2010 utilising A, B and C letter grades. This was expanded to a trial in participating local government areas in 2011 utilising an equivalent system of star ratings (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars) and an accompanying interpretive grade (Excellent, Very Good or Good) to reflect the degree of compliance with minimum food safety standards. In late 2013 the program was enhanced to encourage further take-up. Participation in the program is voluntary. Rest of the World Many other countries have now adopted similar schemes including France, New Zealand, and Singapore.
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