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The Local Council region contains many food handling businesses • restaurants • cafes • take away food shops • hotels • pubs • clubs • function centres • bakeries • patisserias • pizzerias • delicatessens • grocery stores • supermarkets • service stations • nursing homes • other food handling businesses.
Local Government Food
Inspectors are responsible under the NSW Govt Food Act
2003 Regulations to inspect, fine offenders, and if need be,
close down food handling businesses with unclean and unhygienic premises
• fail to ensure adequate pest control of the premises • allow improper
procedures and practices in food preperation and handling • or otherwise
cannot clearly demonstate professional and systematic "best practice" food
safety and pest control procedures are in place.
Food Poisoning • a deadly serious problem official
statistics indicate 5.4 million
cases of food-borne illness occur each year in Australia • mostly from consuming food or drink contaminated with pathogenic bacteria,
viruses or toxins • Annually food poisoning causes more than 120 deaths, 1.2 million visits
to doctors, 300,000 prescriptions for antibiotics and 2.1 million days
of lost work • The annual cost
is approximately $1.25 billion • NSW and the public health system bear roughly one-third
of these costs.
Major causes of food poisoning • transmission of pathogenic bacteria and viruses by cockroaches, rats and mice • inappropriate storage practices • food stored too long or too warm • poor hygiene practices from kitchen staff and other food handlers • inadequate cooking or reheating • cross contamination • receiving foods supplies from an unsafe source.
Random inspections by Local Council Food Inspectors are to ensure food businesses comply with the Food Act NSW Regulations and that such businesses are educated on food safety and hygiene matters.
Some critical aspects checked during inspections include documentary evidence of a pest control strategy • physical evidence of cockroaches and rats • review of temperature control procedures and practice • cleanliness of the premises particularly food preperaration areas • personal hygiene policies and practice - storage of food facilities and practice - disposal of waste policy, facilities and practices.
Food Safety Standards requires that a food business must ensure that all food handlers have adequate skills and knowledge in food safety and food hygiene matters commensurate with their activities.
Employees kitchen staff need to be aware of the requirements and penalties under the Food Act NSW - Councils power the inspect fine and close a business • statutory requirements as to temperature control - health and hygiene requirements • practices to minimise risk of food poisoning • The overall design and layout of food premises is a critical consideration to minimise risk of pest infestations entering the premises and ease and efficiency to maintain clean hygienic premises.
Food Act 2003 NSW Regulations • the legislative framework that governs food safety practices throughout NSW includes • the Food Act 2003 • the Food Regulation 2004 • and the Food Standards Code which incorporates the Food Safety Standards • The regulations
aim to ensure safe and suitable food is delivered to consumers • to reduce overall level of food-borne illness • to provide more effective food safety regulations • to give food businesses flexibility provided food safety is not compromised.
"Food business" includes any business that sells food intended for human consumption even packaged food, drinks or prepared meals • Food ACT NSW thereby applies to all restaurants • cafes • coffee shops • bakeries • fruit juice bars • bed and breakfast premises • kiosks • bookshop cafes • licensed clubs • bowling alleys • mobile food vans • cake shops • poultry shops • canteens • pubs • taverns • coffee shops • delicatessens • school canteens • farmer's markets • seafood shops • green grocers • sushi shops • grocery stores • supermarkets • hotels • motels • takeaway shops.
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Links
to Food Act Regulations
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Penalties & Enforcement - Food Act
NSW Regulations
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Council Food Inspectors can issue Penalty Infringement Notices as an on the spot fine • issue improvement notices requiring the food business to fix a problem within a certain time period • issue prohibition orders closing the business down and prosecute the food business in a Court of Law.
Common fines include unclean premises • inadequate pest control procedures • evidence of cockroach or rat infestations • incorrect food handling practices • unhygienic food handling practices • inadequate storage of food • temperature control • personal hygiene.
Food Act NSW Name & Shame website since
May 2008 details of Food Act fines are published on the NSW Food Authority
website "to give consumers more information about where they eat or
buy food".
With the media are keen to pounce • bad news travels fast • the media are keen to view and provide dramatic news to the general public • the fear of such adverse publicity has meant many food businesses are cleaning up their act • for example click here for October 2009 Sydney Telegraph article - click here for May 2009 article •click here or Food Act name shame website.
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FUMAPEST
Commercial Pest Control - Food
Act NSW compliance
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FUMAPEST Commercial Pest Control is
a second generation family business since 1964 • After 45 years in commercial pest control FUMAPEST has
a valuable reputation to protect and a wealth of knowledge and experience
unmatched by our competitors.
HACCP pest control programs are tailor-made to ensure Food Act NSW compliance for sensitive environments, such as restaurants, cafes, bakeries, hospitals, nursing homes, retirement villages, churches, schools, colleges, child care and function centres and other food handling premises.
CONTACT • Michael DuBois 1300 241 500 for a FREE Fumapest inspection quotation and specifications. |
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