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Name and shame food website leaves consumers in the dark
Tuesday 01 July 2008
While NSW Food Minister Ian Macdonald boasts that the Food Authority’s register of penalty notices now lists twelve businesses, diners are still not being told about the outlets that have not been inspected for many years, if ever, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Dr Kaye said: “The new website is at best a very small step forward.
“Just because an outlet is absent from the penalty website does not mean it is safe.
“Many restaurants have not been inspected for years, if ever.
“The Iemma government rejected the Greens’ amendments to require all inspection notices to be posted on the internet and on the front door of the restaurant.
“Even if they have the time to check the website, diners will not know if the absence of a particular eatery is because it is safe or because it has not been inspected.
“Failure to post any results at the outlet itself leaves casual and drop in diners completely unprotected.
“NSW restaurants who do not apply appropriate hygiene standards cause about one million cases of food poisoning each year.
“The Iemma government is not serious about addressing the appalling rate of infections.
“Proper name and shame laws that includes publishing the results of inspections have been proven to reduce the rate of food poisoning.
“They have worked in California, New York and the UK.
“Minister Macdonald has given this state second rate laws that leave diners unprotected from restaurants that have not been recently inspected,” Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
