GWYNEDD Council is urging residents to keep their plate safe this summer.

The UK spent over £203 billion on food and drink last year alone.

But the safety of our food is often something we take for granted, according to local authority staff.

So this week, as part of National Food Safety Week (4 – 10 June 2018), Gwynedd Council is partnering with the Food Standards Agency to shine a light on food safety to help ensure that the food we buy and eat is safe and honest.

Council staff work to keep food safe, with dedicated food safety officers at the council whose job it is to inspect local food businesses to ensure hygiene standards are up to scratch.

98 per cent of businesses inspected in Gwynedd received a food hygiene rating of 3 (generally satisfactory) or above under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

Cllr Dafydd Meurig, Gwynedd Council deputy leader who leads on food safety matters, said: “We have a dedicated team that work hard to ensure that food is safe in Gwynedd so that residents and visitors can eat out with peace of mind.

Research shows that food hygiene when eating out is the main food safety concern so we are really pleased that the vast majority of our local food businesses hold a rating of 3 or above.”

Richard Bowen, interim director at the Food Standards Agency in Wales, said: “Working in partnership with Gwynedd Council and their expert environmental health officers we are dedicated to ensuring that people can trust that the food they buy and eat is safe and honest.

"Our Food Hygiene Rating Scheme empowers the public to make informed decisions about where to buy and eat food, it’s also proved hugely effective in driving up standards in food businesses across the country.”