Food businesses make the NSW Food Authority’s ‘name and shame’
A CHICKEN producer ordered to pay $40,000 after pleading guilty to charges over hygiene, maintenance and food safety is among the latest to be added to the NSW Food Authority’s shame file.
Liverpool
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A BAKERY, cafe, chicken producer and supplement store are the latest southwest Sydney businesses added to the NSW Food Authority’s shame file.
They are among the 7000 food retail businesses that have appeared on the Name and Shame register, a list of businesses not doing the right thing.
Canterbury-Bankstown were the worst offenders in the south west with 36 charges handed down this year, Liverpool with five and Fairfield with three offences by the industry’s only regulator.
This follows a Moorebank chicken producer ordered to pay $40,000 after pleading guilty to 12 charges relating to failures in hygiene, maintenance and food safety program monitoring.
CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST. You can search by trading name, suburb and date when added.
Shu Yu Yun from Bill’s Chicken was fined in the Downing Centre Local Court last month where photographs and observations from NSW Food Authority officers were tendered in court. They showed rusted and corroded trolleys, no soap or paper towel in staff change rooms and processing equipment including unclean knives.
Rubbish and cigarette butts were also documented on the premises.
NSW Food Authority’s Lisa Szabo said the court result was a reminder as to why food safety systems were crucial.
“NSW consumers deserve to have confidence in knowing the food they purchase is safe to eat and will cause no harm to them or their family,” Dr Szabo said.
Liverpool Council routinely inspect all food premises to ensure minimum safety standards are adhered to.
Council chief executive Kiersten Fishburn said in the 2016/2017 financial year, 1700 inspections were undertaken.
“Council officers also conduct complaint investigations and take appropriate action as required,” she said.
Mineh Bakery in Liverpool was slapped with a $440 fine for failing to maintain a supply of single-use towels near each hand washing facility.
While Spot Pea, Casula received two fines — $880 for failing to maintain cleanliness at the required standard and $660 for not having at least one food safety supervisor appointed to the premises.
Supplement Warehouse Liverpool topped the offenders locally with two $880 fines — both for labelling discrepancies on imported food.
Honcho Sushi was the stand-alone business in Fairfield Council to be slapped with a fine. The business received three $440 fines for failing to eradicate pests, cleanliness of equipment and failing to maintain the cleanliness standard.
Since January 2016 there have been 43 fines to Liverpool businesses.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said the register was a list “consumers can’t get enough of”.
“But the one no business wants to be on,” he said.
“This puts the power in the hands of the consumer and gives them confidence and certainty when choosing where to dine.”
He said the biggest success from the register was there were few repeat offenders.
“It serves as an excellent deterrent because once a food business has made the shame file, they certainly don’t want to appear again.
At its peak in 2009/2010, 3.4 per cent of food businesses were placed on the register. That figure has fallen to 1.6 per cent in the last financial year.
“I am pleased to say the vast majority of food businesses in NSW do the right thing — however, those which don’t, face the significant sanction of featuring on the well-read register.”
Liverpool and Bankstown councils are among those in the state that participate in a program to highlight the good food retail businesses.
The Scores on Doors program focuses on businesses doing the right thing. Their food safety rating is displayed prominently in their premises.
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