No food outlets have been prosecuted in the last three years due to hygiene breaches although 26 warnings have been handed out in just under three years.

Last month Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister (DEFA) Minister Clare Barber admitted there were not enough resources to launch a food hygiene rating scheme.

If a ratings scheme were to be introduced, such regulations would bring the island in line with the United Kingdom and mean the likes of pubs, restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets would be legally required to display their rating for the public to see in the premises and online.

The rating system would range from zero, where urgent improvement is needed, to five, where hygiene standards are classed as very good.

However, there was no real political backing to introduce such a scheme, and the proposals died a death with little ceremony.

Media Isle of Man recently submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture seeking information on how many food premises have been inspected since January 2022 and whether any have been prosecuted, fined or warned over food hygiene breaches.

Between January 2022 and October this year a total of 270 premises were inspected including 64 cafes, restaurants or staff canteens, 42 takeaways and 40 nurseries/schools.

A total of 14 hygiene improvement notices – effectively warnings – were issued in 2023 and 12 so far in 2024. Issued identified included damaged floors or ceilings, lack of staff training, poorly management of paperwork and no handwashing facilities.

Six premises agreed to voluntary close to clean-up in 2022, nine did the same in 2023 while two have shut temporarily so far in 2024.

The vast majority of closures related to poor standards of cleanliness with one down to pest control, one which had no hot water and another with fire risks identified.

Further remedial action notices were issued to one premises in 2022 and one in 2024 with the one this year still ongoing with issues around use-by dates on products.

Improvement notices were issued to one premises in 2023 and two so far in 2024 which relate to inadequate information in relation to either food allergies or ingredients.

There were also four occasions where health and safety at work prohibition notices were issued with two in 2022 and two in 2024. These both relate to someone sleeping on the premises with a carbon monoxide risk due to a solid fuel tandoori oven.

There was also one nuisance abatement notice issued in 2022 to a premises in relation to an extract system discharging unpleasant odours.

None of the premises were named by DEFA.

Proposals to bring in a food hygiene rating scheme in 2021 was rejected with concerns raised over the negative impact on operators awaiting an inspection and the opportunity for those receiving a poor score to delay by appealing.

A revised scheme was due to be put forward by December this year but that is also being shelved for a watered down alternative.

There are 1,862 food businesses registered in the Isle of Man and each premises would need to be inspected before any rating scheme could be formally introduced to allow them time to make improvements.

At Tynwald last month Mrs Barber explained there were not enough staff to carry out so many inspections and it would take a long time and expense to train up new inspectors.

She explained: ‘Proactive inspections are only one tool to meet this objective. However, compared to other interventions it is resource-heavy, intensive and time consuming and difficult to prioritise.

‘Instead, we have decided to implement a combination of interventions that, together, we are confident will raise food standards across establishments in the Isle of Man. This is in the form of a food safety assurance programme.’

She went on to say this would consist of an education programme for operators outlining their responsibilities in respect to food hygiene with regular workshops on completing necessary documents.

Mrs Barber said the team would continue to react to concerns over poor practice by carrying out inspections swiftly.

But she conceded that only high-risk premises, such as hospitals and schools, had been regularly inspected and the remaining food businesses had not been adequately inspected.