The Danes have seen smileys on inspection reports, in all their retail food enterprises since 2001.

The four different smileys signals how well the enterprise is at complying with food regulations

In 2008 the elite-smiley was introduced. Enterprises with the best inspection records are now using this in their marketing.

The smileys appear at the top of the food inspection reports. Click for sample.

The reports must be displayed for consumers to read, before deciding to enter a shop or a restaurant.

The reports must also be easily available on the enterprises own homepages.

All reports for the last four inspections, are available here at http://www.findsmiley.dk/

Publication philosophy
Make the inspection results public. Make the content easely understood by the smiley-faces.

Then consumers can make use the results to make a more informed choise on where to shop.

Consequently enterprises have another powerfull incentive to secure a high food safety.

Such is in short the philosophy, behind the Danish smiley-scheme,

Shops and restaurants responsible
In Denmark the shops and restaurants are responsible for complying with the food regulations. At unannouced inspections, the public food inspectors check, how well the enterprises are at this.

All shops, restaurants and other enterprises selling foods and beverages to the public are inspected on a regular basis – typically one to three times a year. How often, is decided on a risk evaluation of all lines of food enterprises.

Smiley-reports are to be posted in all supermarkets, groceries, bakeries, butchers, greengrocers, kiosks, restaurants, pizzerias, canteens, hospital kitchens and elderly homes.

Even the hot-dog stands in the streets must show them.

What do the smileys symbolize?
There are four different smileys. They symbolise that the inspector either:

 had no remarks,
 has emphasised that certain rules must be obeyed,
 issued an injunction order or a prohibition,
 issued an administrative fine, reported the enterprise to the police or withdrew an approval.

Enterprises with hazardous health conditions are closed down until problems are fixed.

 Elite-smiley
The elite-smiley is awarded to enterprises with the best inspection history.

Enterprises with only happy smile on their last four inspection-reports – and no remarks during the last 12 month - may use the elite-smiley in their marketing.

Elite-status is, however, only applicable to enterprises inspected at least once a year.

All areas inspected over time
Inspections will over time cover all food regulations concerning hygiene, food contamination and labelling relevant to the enterprise.

At each inspection a number of areas are checked. The resulting smiley is reflecting the the worst of the results.

All results, and all the inspectors' remarks, are published on the inspection report.

Inspections are carried out on a need-oriented basis. Thus, the areas controlled may vary from inspection to inspection, and from shop to shop.

You are most likely to meet a smile
There is a great deal to smile about in Denmark. In 2009, 86% of the establishments received the happy smile, 11% the small smile, 1% received the straight face and 2% the sour smiley.

With 70% happy smiles in 2002, it's safe to conclude that the smiley-scheme has helped increase food safety in Denmark.

Now, after some two years with the new elite-smiley, already 47% of restaurants and other food retailer qualify for the elite-status. And the percentage is growing.
 
"I am pleased that so many shops and restaurants comply with the rules," says Eva Kjer Hansen, Danish minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Sour smileys bad for business
Scoring 100% on consumer-awareness, the smiley-scheme is probably the best-known public schemes in Denmark.

According to a survey, carried out by the Nielsen research company in 2007, 97% of the consumers agree that smileys are "a good or a very good idea".

Two of three consumers say they would reject a restaurant with a bad smiley. And 59% state, they actually have chosen to dine somewhere else, because of a bad smiley.

Thus, a sour smiley is really bad for business.

Enterprises: Fair scheme
Therefore it is very positive, that as many as 88% of the enterprises agree that the scheme is "a good or very good idea".

This is based partly on the fact that 86% say that their last smiley was 'fair' - no matter the smile.

8 of 10 owners or managers say they have held discussions with their staff to secure a happy smiley. And many have improved their routines and standards for the same reason,

Enterprises have come to accept that in Denmark only happy smiles are good for business.

Last modified date: 08-01-2010
Contact: Senior consultant, Knud Arne Nielsen, kan@fvst.dk