Councils to crack down on ‘ghost kitchens’ delivering takeaway food from unmonitored kitchens

They are the secretive food delivery services that boomed during Covid - but now local councils and the food authority are busting ghost kitchens wide open.

Is the kitchen where your takeaway is being prepared sanitary? File picture: iStock

The hunt is on for the state’s “ghost kitchens” — hundreds of illegally operating businesses where you might get a side of food poisoning with your ­online dinner order.

The NSW Food Authority and councils are now working together to clean them up or shut them down.

Made popular during Covid, “ghost” or “dark kitchens” are delivery-only businesses that rely on social media and apps.

Unlike regular restaurants that you can visit in person, there is no way to monitor how they prepare food.

They operate in a way that is invisible to both consumers and authorities, commonly from homes or industrial premises.

A campaign led by 17 Sydney and regional NSW councils in recent months identified at least 131 illegally operating food businesses in their areas.

The City of Sydney Council confirmed it had taken part in the campaign and had identified 40 dark kitchens operating within the local area.

The state is hunting down ‘ghost kitchens’. Picture: iStock

NSW Food Authority acting CEO Andrew Davis said that knowing the location of where food businesses operated allowed enforcement agencies to monitor their practices to ensure the food produced was safe to eat.

“It’s hard to find them. Traditional bricks and mortar restaurants are easy to find, but with the ghost kitchen trend, these guys are not on the high street, they might be at home, they might be in a shared kitchen arrangement,” Mr Davis said.

“We are getting information these exist but we don’t know where they are.

“It’s quite a challenge to identify businesses, we did this work to find out more about the sector. Online, delivery-only businesses tend not to notify their local authority, and without a public physical premises, these businesses can be difficult to reach.

“This means they are not having their food safety compliance assessed, presenting a considerable risk to their customers. Food poisoning, undeclared allergens and other food safety concerns can be quite serious and even deadly.”

Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty. Picture: David Swift

Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the initiative was designed to reduce risks to families and consumers.

“Food poisoning, undeclared allergens and other food safety issues are serious concerns and can be deadly for some people,” Ms Moriarty said.

“The number of food businesses participating in online food delivery apps skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and many off them remain unknown to the councils that are charged with ensuring they are operating safely.

“The government is working with councils and businesses to help ensure home-delivered food has been prepared in the right way, so it’s safe to eat.”

Biosecurity & Food Safety executive director Lisa Szabo said the “ghost kitchens” couldn’t stay secret forever.

“Businesses who don’t have a public face need to be aware that they need to notify councils,” Ms Szabo said.

“Sometimes a member of the public will put in a complaint, there might be a lot of activity occurring, noise at late hours, even complaints about odours.”

Do you know of any illegal ghost kitchens? Email [e-mail]