Aldi has been named the “most hygienic supermarket in the UK” in a study of 744 stores.
Conducted by Property Inspect, the study used data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to identify the percentage of supermarkets under each brand that received a rating of five in their latest hygiene inspection.
Out of its 744 stores across the country, 99.73 per cent of Aldi chains in the UK boasted a top hygiene rating of five.
This was followed by Waitrose (98.24 per cent) and M&S (96.72 per cent).
Meanwhile, 88.64 per cent of Co-op stores were rated a five, while 89.62 per cent of Asda’s did the same.
The study found that only 0.88 per cent of all supermarkets in the UK had a rating of 3 or below.
The research follows a study from 2020 conducted on behalf of specialist insurer, NFU Mutual, which found that the pandemic has led to more consumers checking the hygiene ratings of the supermarkets they shop in.
The survey of more than 2,000 people found that 69 per cent of shoppers now actively check out the ratings and take it into account when they choose where to buy food.
Warrick Swift, commercial director of Property Inspect, said: “With more people than ever assessing the hygiene quality of stores they choose to buy from, sophistication in cleaning processes has never been more essential.
“While big-name brands like these supermarket chains have generally high results across the majority of their stores, more can be done to ensure the safety of their customers across the UK.
“Given that a rating of three or below could lose a store as much as a third of its business, this is an issue where shoppers will vote with their feet which grocery stores of all kinds should pay close attention to.”
