Delivery apps like Just Eat and Deliveroo are blasted for working with takeaways that have low hygiene ratings Food Standards Agency accused the apps of undermining the public's trust Said that the two apps featured 404 eateries with a hygiene rating of just one A total of fifty were in Manchester, 57 in Birmingham and 152 in London By Jemma Carr For The Daily Mail Published: 23:36 BST, 26 June 2019 | Updated: 23:52 BST, 26 June 2019 Viewcomments Delivery firms such as Just Eat and Deliveroo are undermining the public’s trust by working with takeaways that have low hygiene ratings, a watchdog warned yesterday. The Food Standards Agency said the two apps featured 404 eateries with a hygiene rating of just one in Manchester, Birmingham and London – their biggest markets. Its chairman, Heather Hancock, told the BBC that delivery firms were ‘undermining trust in food’ and should not accept restaurants with a hygiene rating below three, meaning ‘generally satisfactory’. The Food Standards Agency said the two apps featured 404 eateries with a hygiene rating of just one in Manchester, Birmingham and London – their biggest markets She added: ‘They’re not helping drive up standards, they’re not doing the consumer a service. Convenience is fantastic but convenience at what cost?’ Just Eat had 259 takeaways with a rating of one, a BBC investigation revealed. Fifty were in Manchester, 57 in Birmingham and 152 in London. Deliveroo had 251 eateries with a one rating – 23 in Manchester, 20 in Birmingham and 208 in London. Shockingly, 21 takeaways with a hygiene rating of zero – in need of ‘urgent improvement’ – were trading using the apps, which allow customers to order without having to phone up. There were 18 on Deliveroo and three on Just Eat.Last year, Just Eat pledged to remove all zero-rated eateries from its app by May 1 2019. Deliveroo said restaurants with a zero rating were taken down immediately. Research by the FSA said ratings of zero to two are associated with higher levels of food-borne illness. Even so, the worst-rated eateries for hygiene often had high customer review scores. On Deliveroo, the average score for a restaurant with a zero or one hygiene rating was 4.2 out of five. Just Eat listings with a one hygiene rating scored an average of 4.7 out of six. On Deliveroo, the average score for a restaurant with a zero or one hygiene rating was 4.2 out of five A Deliveroo spokesman said: ‘Our hygiene policy requires that restaurants maintain a minimum of two stars.’ Just Eat said: ‘We do not allow zero-rated restaurants.’ ■ A review of England’s food to ensure it is ‘safe, healthy and affordable’ has been ordered by the Government. Led by Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain, it will examine whether the supply system is robust ‘in the face of future shocks’. It comes against the background of Brexit, which many farmers fear will lead to an influx of cheap, low-quality food. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility