One in every five eateries in the UK doesn’t meet food hygiene standards, Which? analysis of food safety enforcement data reveals.

In the worst local authority, two out of three food establishments could be putting you at risk of food poisoning.

Food hygiene compliance is patchy and varies hugely across the UK, and although it is ultimately the business’ responsibility to comply with hygiene laws, some local authorities are struggling to enforce standards.

We’ve put together an interactive map so you can check whether your local authority is making sure that its food establishments comply with food hygiene law.

Best local authorities for food hygiene

Erewash, in Derbyshire, tops our table as the local authority with the best food hygiene enforcement stats, followed by Eden in Cumbria and Brentwood in Essex.

The table below shows the 10 highest-ranking local authorities for food hygiene enforcement, out of 386 local authorities analysed.

Rank	Local Authority
1	Erewash
2	Eden
3	Brentwood
4	West Dorset
5	Sunderland
6	Basingstoke and Deane
7	Orkney Islands
8	North Dorset
9	North Devon
10	Hartlepool

Worst local authorities for food hygiene

At the bottom end of the table, Hyndburn in Lancashire has the lowest ranking. Only one third of eateries in Hyndburn that were high-risk or medium-risk actually met hygiene standards.

The hygiene risk of a business is based on several factors, including type of food, the number/type of consumers at risk, method of processing or handling food and confidence in the management.

Birmingham was second from bottom, with only 59% of medium- to high-risk businesses found to be broadly compliant with hygiene rules.

Birmingham City Council told us that it is not responsible for a third party complying with the law, but that it is responsible for enforcing the law where failures are found.

Cities with lots of food businesses can struggle to keep up with food hygiene enforcement because of the high turnover of places to eat.

The table below shows the 10 lowest-ranking local authorities for food hygiene in the UK.

Rank	Local Authority
386	Hyndburn
385	Birmingham
384	Newham
383	Ealing
382	Lewisham
381	Camden
380	Bristol (city)
379	Edinburgh
378	Isles of Scilly
377	Manchester

How we ranked local authorities

We assessed data submitted to the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland by 386 UK local authorities in 2015-16.

We then ranked those local authority areas based on three indicators: how many food establishments were rated for risk, how many of the medium and high-risk premises met hygiene requirements, and how many planned interventions (such as inspections or follow up actions) were actually carried out.

For more on how we collected this information, and our recommendations for food standards in the UK, see our full report on food law enforcement.

Food safety in the UK

Budget cuts at local authorities, complicated international food supply chains and an increase in food crime can make it more difficult to enforce good food hygiene.

Leaving the EU is likely to mean that the UK will have to conduct more of its own safety checks on imported food, which will require more resources and a new approach to food standards checking.

The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland are currently reviewing their food enforcement strategies.

We are concerned, though, that the proposed reforms could see more inspections carried out by third-party companies employed by businesses, instead of the checks being done by public authorities.

We think it’s more important than ever that food safety is independently assessed.

Alex Neill, Which? Managing Director of Home Services, said: “People expect their food to be safe, but there is clearly still work to be done.

“As we prepare to leave the EU, the government and regulators need to ensure that there is a robust, independent system of enforcement in place ​​to give people ​confidence that ​the food they’re eating is hygienic.”

What if your Mother’s Day bouquet arrives sad or snapped? What if your gift arrives late or turns out to be faulty? Here’s our essential top six list of tips to help you mitigate common Mother’s Day mishaps.

1. If you’re ordering flowers

Half of the Which? followers on Twitter who responded to our poll said that they would be giving their mums flowers this Mother’s Day.

So, if your flowers arrive in a sorrowful state – wilting, with browning petals or leaves, or broken stems – the retailer is in breach of contract and you’re entitled to a full refund. This is because the retailer, not the courier, is responsible for the condition of the flowers until they are delivered to you.

Take some pictures of the damage to or poor condition of the flowers, as this will help support your complaint.

You also have the right to a full or partial refund if your flowers arrive late, don’t match the description or arrive with fewer flowers than the amount ordered.

2. If your gift doesn’t turn up

Giving mums a gift or voucher this Mother’s Day was the second most popular response to our poll, with 28% saying they would be doing so.

So, it’s worth knowing that if you paid for delivery by a certain time or date and your Mother’s Day gift turns up late or not at all, this is a breach of contract, and you have the right to terminate the purchase and get a full refund.

Any goods ordered online must be delivered within 30 days, unless otherwise agreed.

Read our guides on delivery rights to help you make a complaint if your parcel is late or doesn’t turn up.

3. If your Mother’s Day present is faulty

If the gift arrives and is not as described, of unsatisfactory quality or not fit for purpose, you can get your money back under the Consumer Rights Act.

Under these circumstances, it is classed as a faulty good, and you have the right to reject goods under this definition and get a full refund. But this right is limited to 30 days from the date of purchase of your product, so act fast where possible.

After the initial 30 days, you can’t demand a full refund in the first instance, but you do still have the right to a repair or replacement.

Use our free tool to ask the retailer for a refund, repair or replacement.

4. If you’re gifting an experience voucher

Experience days and gift vouchers to spend on goods and services have grown in popularity in recent years.

Whether you’re giving a voucher or receiving one, you should always check the terms written on it (or the packaging around it) and make the recipient of the voucher aware of them. The recipient will be bound by terms made at the time of purchase.

Expiry dates are allowed as long as the person buying the voucher was made aware of it at the time of purchase.

But if the terms were not prominent or brought to your attention, you may be able to argue that the terms are contrary to the requirements of good faith.

5. If you have a bad restaurant experience

Of the Which? Twitter followers who responded to our poll, 18% said they would be going out for a meal with their mums this Mother’s Day.

If you’re also planning on taking your mum to her favourite restaurant, remember that you have the right to expect food of satisfactory quality that is as described on the menu.

If the restaurant does not adhere to these Consumer Rights Act expectations, it will be in breach of contract, and you shouldn’t have to pay. If the food is top-notch but the service is substandard, you can also refuse to pay the service charge.

Read our step-by-step guides to restaurant complaints to get money off your bill for poor-quality food or find out more about your rights if you haven’t experienced reasonable care and skill from a restaurant’s service.

6. If flight delays ruin your city break

If you’re treating your mum to a city break this year, like 4% of our poll respondents, it’s important to know that if you encounter issues with flights, your legal position will depend on where you are flying from and to.

If you’re flying with an airline based in the EU, or with a non-EU-based airline flying from an EU airport, then you’re protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation.

If your flight delay is expected to be longer than a certain duration, the airline is obligated to offer you assistance.

Depending on the distance of your flight, and the length and reason for your delay, you could also be entitled to claim compensation.

For requirements and entitlements, take a look at our guide to flight delays.

A consumer forum on district level has addressed to an online commercial company to compensate with a payment of 15000 to a customer on the grounds of selling him a faulty mobile charger resulting in damaging his phone.

The one to file the petition, Dr. Ahmed AQ Irfani, had purchased the charger via Flipkart around January 2016 for an amount of Rs 259. When he plugged in the charger into the power socket, connecting the cable to his mobile phone, in just less than around 10 minutes of a time span, the phone’s wires got burnt and in the process got completely damaged it.

“When I complained to Flipkart, they offered to replace the faulty charger but declined to compensate for the damage caused to my phone. They suggested that the device could have been damaged because of the surge in power,” said Irfani.

This happened before the forum, Irfani added to the fact that while purchasing he was informed that the charger had a total capacity of withstanding any power fluctuations, in the range of 100-240 volts.

Accusing Flipkart of inefficient services, Irfani filed a petition seeking a reimbursement for the damage caused by the same.

Flipkart, in its defense, claimed that they are merely a commercial company that brings forth various buyers and sellers onto one platform to engage in the facilities of the same, they have no connection whatsoever with the quality of the products.

They further defended their case by directing the blame on a short-circuit as the real cause of damage, which had triggered due to an excessive current flow in the power source, hence, it’s not a damage triggered by a faulty charger, in the first place.

“Flipkart cannot shirk their liability on the grounds that they did not charge any consideration from the complainant. The complainant purchased the product through Flipkart and therefore there exists a relationship between a consumer and the service provider between the two,” said the bench.

“When the battery charger had a wide range of 110 volts to 240 volts, it is not probable that the power surge would have damaged the mobile phone. In such facts and circumstances of the case, the complainant is entitled not only to the refund of the amount paid for the charger but to a reasonable compensation.”

We are glad Irfani’s concerns are addressed and resolved. The e-commerce sites have to be more responsible. What do you guys feel? Do let us know in the comments section.

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Source:-RVCJ