Brisbane’s shocking food safety figures

A huge number of Brisbane bars, restaurants, breweries and eateries have been slapped with two stars or less by Brisbane City Council, indicating “poor” or “no compliance” with food safety laws.

One in five Brisbane eateries have been rated as having either ‘poor’ or ‘non-compliant’ food safety over the past financial year, according to council’s own compliance checks.

But despite the number of checks being carried out falling for the third straight financial year, Brisbane City Council has said any attempt to compare 2020’s numbers would be “disingenuous”.

Of the 4074 venues given a rating out of five stars under Brisbane City Council’s Eat Safe program, 773 eateries were slapped with two stars or less.

Punjabi Palace in South Brisbane was among venues named in court documents over food safety failures. Picture: File

Council’s website says restaurants, cafes and bars given two stars are a “poor performer” with a “low level of compliance”, with no stars awarded to “non-compliant performers” that need “major effort to rectify issues.”

It comes after The Courier-Mail in September revealed that 22 businesses were fined a whopping $400,000 over food safety breaches.

Among those pinged was the Punjabi Palace in South Brisbane, long-running Camp Hill restaurant Pan Thai, The Mill on Constance, which has since closed, and Eagle Farm TAFE cafeteria kitchen, which has previously catered for the Commonwealth Games.

There were 4519 food safety inspections conducted in financial year 2019-20, a similar number to the prior financial year but well down on the 7003 checks conducted in 2017-18, which Brisbane City Council said was due to extra precautions around the Commonwealth Games.

However City Standards, Community Health and Safety chair Kim Marx said any comparison with previous years would be “disingenuous” due to the disruption caused by COVID-19.

“The global coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on the operation of many food businesses in Brisbane, with many closing their doors for extended periods of time,” Cr Marx said.

“Food Safety audits continued during the pandemic, but were supported through a new inspection type, COVID-safe inspections.”

Cr Marx said 9170 COVID-Safe inspections were conducted since mid-May.

Of the 4,074 venues given a star rating out of five through the Eat Safe Program, 3,301 were given a rating of between three and five stars.

773 eateries received a rating of either two and no stars, with council’s website clarifying that the one-star rating was abolished “in order to communicate a non-compliant rating to a food business.”

Cr Marx said the star rating of a business determined how often it was inspected.

“Council maintains the Eat Safe program, which ensures businesses are inspected on a cycle based on their star rating,” she said.

A number of popular Brisbane restaurants were pinged for poor compliance, according to court documents. Picture: iStock

“All businesses that hold a food business licence are inspected, including temporary food stalls, cafes, food manufacturers, microbreweries and home based food businesses.”

She said all complaints over food safety would be followed up by an on-site inspection, and venues that “present a health risk to the public” were shut down.

Number of inspections 

2019-20: 4519

2018-19: 4900

2017-18: 7003

2016-17: 7200

What the ratings mean 

FIVE STARS: Excellent performer, fully compliant with the Food Act 2006 and overall very high standard of food safety management practices.

FOUR STARS: Very good performer, high standard of compliance and overall good standard of food safety management.

THREE STARS: Good performer, good level of compliance and overall acceptable standard of food safety management.

TWO STARS: Poor performer, low level of compliance with more effort required.

NO STARS: Non- compliant performer, a general failure to comply with the Food Act 2006 with major effort required to rectify issues.