Food safety ratings will be displayed at more South Australian cafes and restaurants from next year after a trial proved a success, SA Health says.

"The pilot has proven very successful and we have decided to expand the scheme to all councils which want to participate and involve their local businesses," health executive Dr Fay Jenkins said.

"Since the scheme started, 3, 4, and 5-star certificates have been awarded to more than 800 local restaurants, cafes and pubs based on how well they did in their regular council inspection, which is a great result."

Nine council areas signed up during the trial of the voluntary Scores on Doors program.

"Encouraging businesses to display their star rating aims to improve standards in the food service industry and will also help to improve public health by reducing the risk of food poisoning," Dr Jenkins said.

"The rating will inform customers of how well a food business complies with food safety standards, including how they store and handle food.

"The better a business does during their inspection, the higher the star rating."

Five stars the top rating

Dr Jenkins said diners and other food consumers would quickly and easily know if local businesses had matched the expected safety standards, as businesses could display certifications ranging up to five stars for outstanding compliance.

"Of the businesses inspected so far, 54 per cent received a certificate with a star rating, demonstrating appropriate food handling skills and a clean and safe food preparation environment," she said.

"If a business does not meet the national food safety standards they will not be awarded a star rating and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure the business rectifies any problems."

She expressed confidence food outlets would be keen to resolve issues quickly so they could display the official certification for customers.

"The scheme is voluntary so not all businesses will display a star rating, but we expect that take up will continue to increase as consumers demand more information about where they choose to eat," she said.

South Australian Local Government Association chief executive Matt Pinnegar said councils, which carried out many hygiene inspections of premises, had been keen to see a standardised food safety rating scheme for some time.

"This is welcome news for councils and businesses across the state and we hope its use will expand rapidly once it is released statewide," he said.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese said the city was part of the pilot program and he was now looking forward to wider implementation of the scheme because it would benefit both diners and outlets.

Source: ABC News, 13^th October 2015
Originally published as: Food safety star ratings scheme to be extended by SA Health from 2016