A CONVINIENCE store has recently been given the worst hygiene rating possible following a recent inspection. 

B & E Stores on Cardiff Road in Newport had a food hygiene inspection on Thursday, June 20. 

The Food Hygiene Rating Act 2013 became law in Wales on March 4, 2013, requiring all businesses selling food in Wales - including pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, takeaways, schools, hospitals, canteens, care homes and corner shops – to display hygiene ratings in a prominent place, and to provide the information verbally if requested over the phone.

Inspections are carried out by the local authority officers, and ratings - from zero, meaning urgent improvement is necessary or they may risk closure; to five, meaning standards are excellent - are updated on the FSA website.

Each inspection is carried out under three specific categories.

These are hygienic food handling, which covers the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage; cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, which involves the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control, to enable good food hygiene; and management of food safety which covers the system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future. 

For each category, a business is given a rating of between very unsatisfactory and very good. 

B & E Stores was given a rating of major improvement necessary for both hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, while the rating of urgent improvement required was given to the management of food safety. 

As a result, the overall rating given to B & E Stores was zero or urgent improvement necessary. 

B & E Stores did not respond to a request for comment.