July is the month when I sometimes discuss food hygiene and warn of the food poisoning incidents that can occur when food is not kept at the correct temperature during the warm summer months.

I usually explain the importance of keeping hot food hot and cold food cold and then mention the fact that raw meat should be kept away from cooked meats during a barbecue.

In warm conditions bacteria can double every 20 minutes, with disastrous consequences if cross-contamination takes place and food is left out too long.

When everyone is having a good time in the sunshine it’s so easy to forget to place food back into the fridge once the meal is over.

This year I will discuss a nationwide scheme named Scores on the Doors instead.

Scores on the Doors came into being in Oxfordshire last month. It’s a rating system that permits us all to check out our favourite pub, restaurant or catering establishment and see how it rates on a score from zero to five, when it comes to hygiene.

Environmental health officers across Oxfordshire have been inspecting food premises as usual, but now they are giving them a rating which goes online, enabling us all to check the score our favourite eating places has gained.

This means we can all become more informed about where we eat and be assured that premises are being checked regularly.

It is hoped that the scheme, which was tried out in London with great success, and is now being taken up all over the country, will encourage those running premises with a low star rating to work towards obtaining a higher score.

I was lucky enough to be involved in the launch of Scores on the Doors for West Oxfordshire, which was attended by many of the owners and managers of food establishments that have been awarded a five-star rating.

The event was held at Kelmscott Manor, the one-time home of William Morris, which is among the 12 per cent of premises in West Oxfordshire that scored a five-star rating for cleanliness. It was a lovely location to visit in mid-June. My role as guest speaker was to give a short talk about my experiences as a pub critic and discuss the things related to hygiene that I look for when visiting a pub.

I recalled the many times I’ve watched tables being wiped clean with a cloth that was so dirty it spread bacteria, instead of removing them.

Then there’s the unfortunate moment a member of staff flicks their tea towel over their shoulder and allows it to remain there collecting dirt from the hair while they work.

Staff sneaking outside for a quick cigarette often spread germs, too, if they don’t wash their hands before resuming their duties.

I instinctively look at the hands of the person serving my food too – dirt under the fingernails is not just off-putting, it’s another way germs can be spread.

Naturally, I check the toilets, too. One look tells you everything you need to know. As Councillor David Harvey said when we spoke during the launch: “If you can smell the toilet before you open the door, it’s not clean.”

Environmental health officers (EHOs) inspect the areas behind the scenes that the public don’t normally see. They assess general cleanliness, food storage, the temperature of the refrigeration units and the way waste is stored.

Most EHOs admit that they can tell almost immediately if good hygiene practices are in place when they make their visits.

They know how to spot ingrained dirt that has built up over months, rodent infestation and incorrect storage of potentially hazardous food products such as raw meats.

Ideally, catering establishments should have separate storage areas for uncooked meats and cooked produce. If this is not possible, raw meat should be stored on the lower shelves to prevent blood leaking on to cooked products.

All establishments should also have documented procedures for thawing and re-heating food, to enable staff to follow safe guidelines when it comes to leaving food out to thaw.

Apparently lack of this documentation is where many establishments will fall down when it comes to receiving a higher star rating. If a food establishment has a high rating, they will receive an unannounced visit from an EHO about once a year or every 18 months. Those with lower ratings will receive more visits and those who fail abysmally may be given a day to make things good or be closed down.

More than 40 food managers and owners of catering establishments attended the launch.

Those in the West Oxfordshire area who have earned five stars include A&J Catering, Witney; Blue Basil, Chipping Norton; Food Formula Ltd, Enstone; The Cotswold Home, Burford; The Homestead, Carterton; The Mulberry Bush School, Standlake; and McDonald’s, Witney.

To discover if your favourite West Oxfordshire restaurant rates high among this number you can access the information via the council’s website www.westoxon.gov.uk and follow the link which will take you straight through to the national website on which all Oxfordshire premises can be found.

Councillor David Harvey, who is the cabinet member for environment at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Whether people are going out for a restaurant meal or simply picking up a pizza, fish and chips or whatever else to eat at home, they want to be confident that their food has been stored, prepared and presented to the best possible standards.”

He also remarked that the council was backing Scores on the Doors, as this served as a good advertisement for high hygiene standards, gave food establishments an incentive to improve if necessary and provided residents with an informed choice about the safest places to eat.