Why hundreds of Birmingham's dirtiest food outlets have gone uninspected for years

Birmingham City Council said a national labour shortage had created a 'backlog' in the number of food businesses awaiting hygiene inspections

A 'labour shortage' has created a severe backlog in food hygiene inspections, leaving hundreds of low-rated food businesses waiting years to be checked. Birmingham City Council said new staff were being recruited to tackle the 'backlog' amid fears businesses selling unsafe food have been allowed to operate unchecked for years.

It comes after a BirminghamLive investigation revealed hundreds of Birmingham food outlets with the lowest hygiene ratings - either a zero or a one - had not been inspected in more than a year. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said a national staffing crisis and pandemic backlog had left hundreds of restaurants, cafes, and takeaways with poor hygiene ratings waiting up to two years for inspections, all while staying open.

The FSA rates food businesses on a scale from zero to five based on how hygienically food is prepared - and has the power to shut businesses down in extreme circumstances. The backlog in hygiene inspections has raised fears of a 'serious public health issue' with customers potentially placed at an increased risk of food poisoning and other illnesses.

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In Birmingham, more than 30 food outlets with the lowest two food hygiene ratings had been waiting more than two years since their last inspection. A zero food hygiene rating is at the bottom of the scale and means 'urgent improvement is necessary' to correct poor hygiene.

While some businesses will have closed since their inspection, our investigation revealed many remained open. A new report from the Food Standards Agency said a a 'long-term decline in numbers' had put pressure on the work of local authority environmental health inspectors.

According to the FSA's Our Food 2023 report, only 51.9 per cent of inspections were delivered on time last year - with 101,000 businesses with inspections overdue.

Birmingham City Council confirmed a national labour shortage had created a backlog in the number of food businesses awaiting inspection. A spokesperson said: "In November, we will conclude the latest drive to recruit several new officers to help tackle the backlog in the number of food businesses awaiting inspection.

"As highlighted by the FSA, a national labour shortage is contributing to a rise in the number of food businesses awaiting inspection across the country. The FSA is aware of our situation and approves our short term and medium term plan to address the backlog, and they are keen to see us focus on recruiting and training new staff who will then be able to tackle the backlog."