Dragon Palace in St Annes given zero-out-of-five food hygiene rating following inspection

A Fylde takeaway has been handed a new zero-out-of-five food hygiene rating.

Dragon Palace on St Albans Road in St Annes was given the minimum score after an assessment on January 11, the Food Standards Agency's website shows.

The report showed that improvement was necessary in the handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.

"Major improvement" was also required in the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building.

This includes having an appropriate layout, ventilation and hand washing facilities to enable good food hygiene.

It was also deemed major improvement was required in the management of food safety and the system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat.

It means that of Fylde's 62 takeaways with ratings, 44 have ratings of five and just one has a zero rating.

Food safety inspections and enforcement

The food hygiene rating reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection by the local authority.

The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality.

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food hygiene laws and can inspect a business at any point in the food production and distribution process.

Authorised officers from the local council will visit the premises to check the business is complying with food law and producing food that is safe to eat.

To do this, they will look at:

- the premises

- how employees work

- the food safety management system

- the types of food being made and prepared

Authorised officers have the right to enter and inspect the premises at any reasonable time.

They will also usually arrive without making an appointment.

How often the business is routinely inspected will depend on the type of business and its previous record.

Some premises might be inspected at least every six months, others much less often.

Authorised officers will offer help and advice on food safety and they can take action if they find that standards of food hygiene are not good enough.

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