Food Safety

Coffee making

Council plays an important role in the food industry as it works in conjunction with the NSW Food Authority to ensure food provided to the general public is suitable for human consumption.

Council's Environmental Health Officers are authorised under the Food Act 2003 to carry out food premises inspections ensuring that practices and procedures such as food labelling, hand washing and general cleanliness, temperature control and food storage are conducted appropriately in accordance with the Food Standards Code. As a Category B food 'Enforcement Agency' Council is required to conduct the inspection of food businesses such as restaurants, cafés, takeaway shops, caterers, bakeries, pubs, clubs, hotels and supermarket hot food sales. All large wholesale premises as well as butchers are inspected directly by the NSW Food Authority.

Inspections on food businesses are generally carried out twice a year however this will be dependent on the type of food business, for example those that only handle packaged foods may be subject to only one inspection per year. The owner of the business will be required to pay an inspection charge of $100 per inspection which will also include re-inspections.

The Food Act 2003 also requires certain food businesses to have at least one trained Food Safety Supervisor (FSS). This requirement was established to help reduce foodborne illness in the hospitality and retail food service sectors in NSW by improving food handler skills and knowledge.

For further information on all things food safety related please visit the NSW Food Authority website.

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