Push to name and shame food premises that breach food hygiene standards
Food premises fined or shut down for not maintaining hygiene standards should be publicly named and shamed, the Eastern Health Authority says.
The authority's chief executive, Michael Livori, said it was in the public interest to include all food premises in serious breach of food safety rules on a name-and-shame register.
Currently, only businesses successfully prosecuted for breaches of the Food Act can be publicly named.
"We would love to be able to expose food premises in breach of the Act," he said.
"A name-and-shame register is a good thing because it gives the public vital information."
The Eastern Health Authority, which covers Burnside, Norwood, Payneham, St Peters, Campelltown, Prospect and Walkerville council areas, issued six warning letters, 43 improvement notices, five expiation notices and three prohibition notices between July 1 and September 30.
Its 2012-13 draft annual report said there had been a 20 per cent increase in the number of food complaints in the past two years.
Mr Livori said serious breaches, which did not lead to prosecution, included cases of suspected salmonella poisoning and vermin infestation.
The authority also received a complaint about two white bag sealing tags being found in fruit buns at a supermarket.
An expiation notice was handed to a supermarket that stored chicken pizzas at room temperature, instead of at or below five degrees. The annual report said many serious breaches of the Act involved significant vermin and cockroach problems.
Mr Livori said he would like SA to have a register similar to one in New South Wales, which named 1672 businesses issued with penalty notices.
SA Health has named just two businesses for breaches of the Food Act - Woolworths, in Murray Bridge, and Bangkok Asian Grocery, in Mansfield Park. Businesses are taken off the register after two years.
The Imperial Peking Restaurant, in St Peters, has been charged under the Act, while the Cherry Blossom Sushi Bar, in Newton, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing for 44 breaches.
Burnside councillor Sue Whitington - who is the EHA's chairwoman - raised her concerns about the rising number of breaches at this month's council meeting.
She said she supported the call to widen the scope of the register.
"Unfortunately a tool such as this seems to be necessary for certain offenders," she said.
In 2010, Independent MP Bob Such called for the introduction of a UK-style system forcing businesses to display results of health inspections on their front doors.
A Health Department spokeswoman said the Government was not looking to widen the scope of its name-and-shame register.
Source: The Telegraph, 10 November 2013
