The NSW Food Authority has just updated its engrossing (and fairly gross) “Name and Shame” list — an online archive of restaurants, cafes and other outlets serving food-like products that have been issued with penalties for breaches of cleanliness and food handling.
Crikey thought we’d go a bit Today Tonight (coming next week: dodgy ethnic builders, fat kids rorting the dole and an shock revelations from Schapelle Corby’s hairdresser’s mum’s pet guinea pig!) and taste a few of the highlights:
Vinh Phat Restaurant, Cabramatta — Half-naked cooks:
Nature & circumstances of alleged offence: Fail to take all practicable measures to ensure all people on the food premises do not contaminate food – food handlers were preparing food unclothed from the waist up.
Amount of penalty: $300
Michel’s Patisserie, St Mary’s — Mouldy cakes:
Nature & circumstances of alleged offence: Sale of food that is unsuitable – mouldy sponge cake.
Amount of penalty $1100.00
Daniels Butchery, Kingsford — Sheep and pig in the “beef mince”:
Nature & circumstances of alleged offence: Fail to supply food that is of the nature or substance demanded by the purchaser – sale of beef mince containing soluble protein of ovine and porcine origin.
Amount of penalty: $660.00
Darban Persian Restaurant, Auburn — Cook-up in the carpark:
Nature & circumstances of alleged offence: Fail to, when processing food, take all necessary steps to prevent the likelihood of food being contaminated – meat was being processed in the storage area in the car park
Amount of penalty: $330.00
And a special mention to Joseph Saliba from Badgery’s Creek, who was fined $330 for “operating an abattoir and selling slaughtered animals without a licence”.
Damn nanny state won’t let you have ANY fun these days!
And for those now too scared to ever risk dining in a NSW restaurant again, the Authority has created a free iPhone app called Food Watch NSW, mapping all the offenders:
UPDATE: The iPhone app uses data from the Authority, but was created by an independent developer [thanks to commenter Alan Jones]
Actually the Foodwatch app used data freely available from the Authority but was developed independently by Australian iPhone app developers, Mogeneration.
Unfortunately only the NSW Authority publishes data publicly in this manner at the moment, so there’s no way to do one for restaurant-goers in other states. Sorry, Melbourne!
Actually Victoria has plans to do the same as New South Wales – the legislation just passed:
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/regulatory_info/legislation/food_safety_reform/index.htm
I believe the GotGastro website were the first people to mash up the data – http://gotgastro.com/.
LOL
I *do* like the sound of “car boot food” at the Darban Persian Restaurant.
Hell, that sounds downright authentic. 🙂
a) A dead rodent was found in the storage area.
b) Live cockroaches in food premises.
Translation (a) the place is so full of chemicals that everthing dies in 10 minutes and thus can’t all be picked up in time.
Translation (b) appetising food in a nice natural environment.
Mmmm…your choice.
Gives a whole new meaning to “naked chef”. As much as I want to picture topless Vietnamese girls, i’m assuming they were male.
But seriously, I live in Ashfield, which is one of the top offenders. Like eating Maccas – you just have to not think about it.