Would you like roaches with that?

Sue Kedgley congratulates the Manukau City Council for their tough stand on unhygienic food outlets, saying that the public have a right to make informed choices about where they eat.

Ms Kedgley is calling for councils around the country to implement a name and shame policy for outlets which fail to meet the hygiene standards that are required of them.

“Consumers have a right to know which food outlets are practicing in a healthy and safe way, and which are profiting from shabby and unhygienic conditions.

“No one in New Zealand would find it acceptable if they knew that the food they were taking home and feeding to their children had been exposed to rodents and cockroaches first.

“It’s wonderful to see Manukau City Council, through their new hygiene grading system, putting consumers’ health first, and giving people the ability to identify which outlets are serious about customer satisfaction, and which ones aren’t.

“A publicly accessible rating for all food outlets would go a long way to addressing substandard conditions which no doubt exist all around the country and not just in Manukau, as well as recognising those outlets which make the effort to provide excellent hygiene standards.

“I congratulate Manukau City Council on their tough stance, and encourage other councils to look at what they can do to better protect consumer health.”