Gold Coast restaurants: Food safety inspection ratings revealed

Find out if your local restaurant scored three, four or five stars for food safety. FULL LIST OF EATERIES NAMED >>>

Melanie Whiting

2 min read

September 29, 2021 - 3:35PM

Gold Coast Bulletin

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HUNDREDS of Gold Coast restaurants and eateries have scored three stars or more for food safety, council data shows.

Businesses receive a star rating based on their food safety performance under Gold Coast City Council’s Eat Safe program.

A council spokeswoman said the star rating system could be used by restaurants to promote themselves.

“Food safety rating schemes operate alongside regulatory systems and have been effective in reducing food related illnesses in cities across the world,” she said.

Food businesses considered excellent performers receive five stars, very good performers get four stars and good performers receive three stars.

There are a number of reasons why a business may not display its star rating.

This can be because the business:

- received a food safety rating of less than three stars

- received a food safety rating of three or more stars but has chosen not to have its star rating made public

- is a domestic water distributor or short term, temporary food stall. These activities are not given a star rating

- is a food vehicle licensed in another local government area which does not have an ‘Eat Safe’ program

- sells food deemed to be low-risk and therefore does not require a food licence under state legislation

- has not applied for a food licence, even though it is required to. This is an offence under the Food Act 2006.

Hundreds of Gold Coast restaurants and eateries have scored three stars or more for food safety, council data shows

Full list of Coast restaurants fined for food safety breaches - September 28

THE city council has pinged dozens of Gold Coast businesses for dodgy food safety practices, with eateries in three dining precincts dominating the naughty list in 2020-21.

But as per Gold Coast City Council protocol, you won’t be told which ones.

A total of 54 food businesses on the Gold Coast were slapped with a $667 fine for breaching food safety standards.

Surfers Paradise and Robina food precincts recorded the most breaches with seven each. Southport followed closely behind at six breaches.

The Gold Coast City Council also fined one Burleigh Waters food business $1334 for not holding a licence under the Food Act.

Last year, the Bulletin revealed Coast diners were playing Russian roulette with their health because the council refused to name dozens of businesses which breached food safety standards.

Generic image of a dirty kitchen. Picture: istock

The council has continued to take this stance citing “privacy reasons”, declining to provide names of offending restaurants and details of what the breaches involved.

The council did not detail how many breaches involved pests like rats and cockroaches.

Despite this, a council spokeswoman said food safety was its number one priority.

“Environmental health officers look at a wide range of issues in food businesses such as temperature control, safe food handling and storage, cleaning, pest control and hand washing,” she said.

The council did not detail how many breaches involved pests like rats and cockroaches. Picture: iStock

“Businesses receive a star rating based on their food safety performance under the City’s Eat Safe program. They can use this star rating to promote themselves.

“Food safety rating schemes operate alongside regulatory systems and have been effective in reducing food related illnesses in cities across the world.”

Anyone who believes they have become ill due to eating out or getting takeaway food should report the issue to council as soon as possible on 07 5667 5988.