Worst fast food chains ‘named and shamed’

A ‘name and shame’ list has exposed the fast food chains and specific restaurants with the most health violations.

Messy kitchens, undercooked meals, and the occasional bout of food poisoning are all risks reluctantly accepted in the pursuit of our favourite fast foods.

However there are clearly some franchises at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to food health and safety standards.

Unlike many other states, the NSW Government Food Authority keeps a public record of businesses that have received Food Standards Code violations through its “Name and Shame” Register.

Among the 789 notices currently listed, a number of fast food franchises have racked up a slew of penalties, while many others have emerged with clean records.

KFC

KFC has been slapped with the most penalties thanks to a few repeat offenders across the state,

The chain’s outlet in Sans Souci, southern Sydney, was hit with two violations on June 13, 2023 for “failure to maintain the food premises (and) all fixtures, fittings and equipment to the required standard of cleanliness”.

KFC Asquith, northern Sydney, also received a cleanliness penalty on May 25, while the KFC outlets in Earlwood and Tahmoor both copped the same violations in 2022 after previous warnings were given.

Google reviews for KFC Casino claim customers “will never go back”. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile the worst offender, KFC Casino, racked up three penalties within the space of four months last year.

On February 19, 2023 food inspectors handed down a failure to maintain cleanliness charge and slapped the site with the same penalty only three months later on May 2, all despite previous warnings.

In 2018 Melissa Cavanagh posted to Facebook that she "felt disgusted" after finding maggots in her meal at KFC Casino. Picture: Supplied.

Less than a month later on May 24, KFC Casino copped another charge, this time for an additional “failure to maintain easily accessible handwashing facilities on the food premises”.

Under the current system each Food Standards Code penalty amounts to a fine of $880 regardless of the offence type, leaving KFC Casino with a total bill of $2,640.

Pizza hut

Despite KFC topping the list, Pizza Hut came in at a close second.

Its Cambridge Gardens store in Penrith is responsible for four out of seven of its current penalty notices, including failures to maintain cleanliness based on previous warnings given between March to August of 2023.

Locals have directed their frustrations at Pizza Hut Cambridge Gardens. Picture: Supplied.

On August 28 food inspectors also found the store had “failed to store food in such a way that it is protected from the likelihood of contamination”.

Pizza Hut stores in Chipping North, Emerton, and Minto were also hit with health violations.

Red Rooster

Humble Red Rooster falls into third place with their Moorebank, Eastern Creek, Werrington County and Mt Pritchard stores all failing food safety inspections.

Werrington Country in Penrith and Mt Pritchard in Fairfield both copped penalties for “failure to maintain at or near each hand washing facility a supply of warm running water.”

While Eastern Creek was penalised for failing to store food properly on April 2, 2023.

McDonald’s

Although McDonald’s has only received four violations across a whopping 1039 stores in the last two years, these outlets have received their fair share of charges.

On November 10, 2022 the McDonald’s in North Parramatta was penalised for failing to “take all practical measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests” alongside a cleanliness violation.

Google reviews have slammed the "dirty" North Parramatta McDonalds. Picture: Supplied.

A review likened the store to a “swimming pool”. Picture: Supplied.

The McDonald’s Milperra in the Bankstown Aerodrome did little better when it failed inspections for selling food past its use-by date and poor cleanliness on September 15, 2023.

If Subway, Guzman y Gomez, Domino’s Pizza, Nandos, Oporto, or Hungry Jack’s are more your thing, then you’re in luck. These popular chains have not received a single penalty according to the current register – in NSW at least.

Yet overall, fast food chains only account for about 3 per cent of violations handed down within the last two years.

According to food law consultancy firm, Food Legal, NSW is known for its very “hands on” approach to industry standards since it first introduced the “name and shame” register 15 years ago.

Other states and territories such as Victoria, WA and the ACT have followed suit and introduced their own registers to help consumers make informed choices about where and what they eat.

Now it’s up to you to be the judge.