KEY POINTS:
A smiley face may soon be as important a guide for restaurant diners as a good review or an interesting menu.
Food Safety Minister Lianne Dalziel expressed enthusiasm for New Zealand following in Denmark's footsteps and implementing a smiley face food safety system.
Since 2001 all Danish shops, restaurants and food outlets have had to display their smiley face rating - visual evidence of how clean and healthy their food handling procedures are.
A wide grin shows health inspectors found no faults with a premises and a slight smile that certain rules needed to be followed.
A frown indicates an injunction had been filed against the store, while a downcast expression indicated a fine had been levelled or the premises had been forced to close.
An elite smiley is awarded to premises which have earned wide grins on their four previous inspections.
New Zealand already runs a very similar inspection regime, but without the added visual guide.
Ms Dalziel said she was keen on the idea being followed in this country, and said it would be especially useful for customers who did not speak English.
