Inspections

The majority of councils in NSW inspect retail food premises using a standard checklist for compliance with the Food Standards Code called the Food Premises Assessment Report (FPAR).

The FPAR features a points system to determine a hygiene and food safety score.

Council officers will assess the following as part of the inspection:

• general items: that you appointed a trained Food Safety Supervisor (FSS), have an FSS certificate on the premises, and that food handlers have skills and knowledge to handle food safely
• food handling controls: storage, display and transport, processing, the risk of cross-contamination
• cleaning and sanitising, hand washing and proximity of facilities
• food temperature control
• pest control
• premises design and construction: issues such as water supply, disposal, adequate and safe garbage facilities and lighting
• food labelling: accurate and sufficient.
   

Preparing for your regular council inspection will help your business get the best possible result. 

For tips, see How to get a better inspection result.

You can also perform a self-check by going through the Food Premises Assessment Report (FPAR) used by food safety officers to assess business compliance.

Scores on Doors is the NSW hygiene and food safety scoring program that displays the results of food premises regular inspections.  It makes public how well local restaurants, takeaway shops, bakeries, pub bistros and cafes are complying with NSW hygiene and food safety requirements.

If your council participates in the Scores on Doors program they will tally your food safety and hygiene rating to either 3, 4 or 5 stars and you will be able to display your food safety record for your customers.

If you disagree with your inspection results, or have concerns about how your inspection was conducted, contact your council in the first instance using the council’s complaint handling process. 

• Find your local council

If you are dissatisfied with council’s response, you may be able to seek further advice from other agencies.

NSW Ombudsman

The NSW Ombudsman can look at whether the council:

• failed to comply with proper procedures or the law
• failed to notify affected people before decisions were made
• provided unreasonable, discriminatory or inconsistent treatment
• failed to reply to correspondence.

The NSW Ombudsman cannot order your council to change a decision. It can make suggestions or recommendations, which councils are free to adopt or decline.

You can phone the NSW Ombudsman on 1800 451 524, or make a complaint online.

Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner

The Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner’s role is to help you find a solution to your problem, usually through negotiating, providing information or mediating.

It can provide you with advice, and talk to your council about how best to resolve the dispute.

Where problems are too complex to be dealt with over the phone, it can arrange a face-to-face mediation session between you and your council.

The Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner can be contacted on 1300 795 534, at we.assist@smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au or via the online enquiry form.

NSW Office of Local Government

While the NSW Office of Local Government has only limited powers to intervene in the decision making of councils, businesses can seek assistance from it. However, it will not assist with legal questions, including court appeal or review rights.

The NSW Office of Local Government can be contacted on (02) 4428 4100 or at olg@olg.nsw.gov.au.