Danish smileys get a broader smile

by S. C.

Very many Danes check the report of the inspections carried out by the food authorities before they enter a restaurant, grill bar, butcher or baker. The inspection reports, which carry the smiley symbol that all Danes know, must be hung in the window of the shops and restaurants, and can be found on the internet.

Elite smiley
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration launched the elite smiley in March 2008. The elite smiley is awarded to businesses that have received only happy smileys in the last four inspection reports and have had no negative remarks in the last 12 months. Only businesses inspected at least once a year can be granted elite status.

Since the elite smiley was introduced, the share of happy smileys has increased from 75% to 83%, mainly due to the businesses’ wishes to be awarded the elite smiley. Now 41% of the businesses have been granted an elite smiley.

Risk-based inspections
The elite smiley is part of the risk-based inspection philosophy. Businesses with elite status get fewer inspections, thus freeing up ressources for more frequent inspections in businesses with lower compliance-rates.

Inspection results on businesses’ websites
To facilitate consumer’s use of the smileys it was made mandatory for all food-industry businesses to show their inspection results and smileys on their own websites. Denmark is probably the first country in the world to do this.

After a year with this requirement, more than 90% of the Danish food businesses have placed the inspection results in a proper position on their websites. This has increased traffic on the 'find smiley' site 15 times, so consumers have indeed used this new possibility.

Smileys in English
You don’t have to master Danish to get hold of the inspection results. All smiley-results are searchable on the English interface. It is also possible to search on a map of Denmark.