Public Health

Council is dedicated to ensuring a safe and healthy environment for our residents, businesses and visitors.

New food retail businesses approved by Council, including mobile food vehicles are required to notify their business through Council’s registration process. This may also require a valid Food Safety Supervisor certificate. If your food business is currently registered with Council, there is no further registration or administrative requirements needed for you to provide takeaway or home delivery services from your business. You will, however, need to ensure that you continue to comply with the requirements of the Australia/New Zealand Food Safety Code 3.2.2 and 3.2.3.

 

Scores on Doors

Council plays an active role in food regulation and the promotion of safe food practices. Our officers conduct regular inspections of all food and health care premises across the area and we provide a scoring system based on the results of the inspection. The program, known as Scores on Doors promotes how well restaurants, cafes and other eateries are complying with NSW hygiene and food safety requirements. Food shops that do not comply with regulatory standards can  be listed on the NSW Food Authority's Name and Shame register.

Eating out? Getting food in? Check the Scores on Doors

To help you choose where to eat out or shop for food Burwood Council is participating in the NSW Scores on Doors program. 

The program gives you information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pub bistros, cafés, takeaways, hotels, and other places you eat out.

Visible hygiene scores

Scores on Doors is being run by Burwood Council in partnership with the NSW Food Authority. The program will help you choose where to eat out or shop for food. Certificates and stickers on display at food premises give you information about the hygiene standards in food premises at the time they are inspected by one of our officers. Council officers check that businesses are meeting legal requirements for food hygiene.

It’s not easy to judge hygiene standards on appearance alone. The Scores on Doors certificates and stickers give you an idea of what’s going on in the kitchen, or behind closed doors.

Consumers can choose

You can check the scores and use the information to choose a business with higher standards. It’s also good to share this information with friends

and family. Scores on Doors ratings recognise businesses with the highest standards and encourage others to improve. The aim is to reduce the number of cases of food poisoning which currently affects around 5.4 million Australians every year.

At retail food outlets

Scores on Doors certificates and stickers can be displayed by:

  • Restaurants
  • Takeaways
  • Cafés
  • Sandwich shops
  • Pub bistros
  • Hotels

Rigorous ratings

Each business is given a rating following an inspection by a council officer. This is based on how well the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law at that time. In particular:

  1. How hygienically the food is handled – safe preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage
  2. What condition the structure of the premises is in – cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
  3. How the business manages what it does to make sure food is safe, so the officer can be confident standards will be maintained in the future.

Each of these three elements is essential to ensure that hygiene and food safety standards meet requirements and the food served or sold to you is safe to eat.

The score is for the conditions found at the time of the last inspection.

The rating is not for the quality of food or the standard of service the business provides.

Business owners and managers can find out more about what they need to do to achieve the highest rating with the factsheet How to achieve a higher rating at Food Authority

 3 Possible Ratings

The hygiene and food safety score reflects the standards found at the time the business is inspected by a council officer. These officers are specially trained to assess food standards. All businesses should be able achieve the top rating of Excellent. Excellent requires that businesses score well in each area of:

  • Handling of food
  • Condition of premises
  • Management of processes

Food premises awarded ‘no grade’ and not given a certificate and sticker are very likely to be performing poorly in all 3 elements. They are also likely to have a history of serious problems. There may, for example, be insufficient cleaning and disinfection, and the system of management in place may not be good enough to make sure the food is safe. Some businesses may not display a certificate and sticker because they are not participating in the program.

 

Meal home delivery guidelines

Home delivery essentially means the delivery of meals from a food business to the customer’s home. Meals that are of most concern are ones that could become contaminated or spoiled in their journey from where they are made, and includes high risk foods. Food business owners have a responsibility to ensure any food transport service keeps food safe despite unexpected events including delivery vehicle break down or a traffic accident.

An inspection and assessment of the delivery vehicles’ interior is expected to be conducted by the business owner prior to engaging the particular service provider. 

Actions for home delivery drivers

  • Do not interfere, tamper or open the containers within which the meal is delivered.
  • Maintain the vehicle’s interior in a clean and sanitary state. If a motorbike or scooter is used then ensure the container storing the food is kept in a clean and sanitary state.
  • Only leave food at the customer’s home unattended if prior arrangements have been made.
  • Keep the delivery time as short as practicable. Aim for maximum of half an hour.
  • Meals should be maintained as hot as possible through an insulated pouch or food esky, or other suitable way. If using pouch/bag keep flap closed.
  •  If delivering cold perishable food Ice packs should be used to keep food under 5 °C.

The above information is provided as a guide only and does not cover every food delivery situation.

Is soap and water enough for hand washing?

Food handlers are encouraged to frequently wash their hands with warm soapy water especially after touching their body, money or moving in between tasks. Where possible avoid touching surfaces, money or your body e.g. face or mouth.

Hand washing is critical to reducing the spread of the virus – businesses should ensure adequate facilities are provided and ensure food handlers thoroughly and frequently wash their hands. It is recommended hands are washed thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, including fingers, thumbs, palms, back of hands, wrists, between fingers and under nails, then rinsed and dried thoroughly with paper towel. Normal soap and warm running water are adequate for hand washing.

Individuals wearing gloves should be mindful that gloves are cleaned and changed as necessary, and hands are washed between changes.

Hand Sanitisers

It is good practice to encourage the use of hand sanitisers for customers e.g. at the counter or in a communal area that is easily accessible. Signs saying “Sanitise Hands Here” or similar are recommended (an internet search can show examples).

How can I properly clean and sanitise my equipment and facilities?

Cleaning and sanitising of all food contact surfaces is critical using hot water and detergent and additional cleaning and sanitising of all food contact surfaces is recommended. Regular cleaning and sanitising of frequently touched surfaces including but not restricted to door handles, light switches, trolley jacks, work benches, equipment should be implemented. Before use, all eating and drinking utensils and food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitised using a food grade sanitiser. Ensure manufacturer’s instructions are followed when using chemical food grade sanitisers.

Cross Contamination

Remove or restrict access to high contact equipment/utensils to reduce risk of cross contamination e.g. remove any salt/pepper shakers, sugar, menus, forks, knives and napkins on tables. Shared condiments e.g. sauces & dressings should be restricted to behind the counter for food handlers to dispense. Avoid handling cash and promote the use of EFTPOS tap and pay. Ensure EFTPOS machines are wiped clean with detergent/sanitiser in between customers. A simple way to encourage the use of EFTPOS can be a message saying – “To help prevent the spread of coronavirus, card transactions are our preferred method of payment. Thank you”.

Staff Wellbeing

Any staff being unwell or showing signs of sickness should not attend work and notify their supervisor.

 

If you are renovating and disturbance of asbestos is inevitable, or materials containing asbestos are not in a good state of repair and need to be removed, WorkCover’s minimum precautions should be followed.

Find out about removing asbestos on the SafeWork NSW website.

You can also call Worksafe NSW on 8260 5885 for a copy of the WorkCover Health and Safety Guidelines.

Neighbourhood noise, such as noisy equipment, parties, alarms and music can be very annoying and unpleasant. Sometimes neighbours do not realise the impact these noises have on you until the matter is brought to their attention.  You should consider contacting your neighbour to work out a solution to your noise concern.

If the noise is from a party or music and approaching the neighbour directly is not successful, Council recommend that you contact NSW Police. They are the correct authority regulated to handle such complaint. Call the NSW Police Assistance line on 131 444.

If the noise is due to noisy equipment, Council can assist and take action on your behalf. However, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 does allow for noise but does restrict the times in which these noises can be made.

There are time restrictions on when noise from residential premises should not be heard inside a neighbour's home.

 Find out more at NSW EPA on noise prevention to noise abatement orders and time of day restrictions.

The Protection of the Environment Operations (Noise Control) Regulation 2017 covers neighbourhood noise laws.

Find out about commercial noise restrictions.

Speak to one of our friendly Environmental Health Officers.

To submit a question email cs.team@burwood.nsw.gov.au

New laws for food businesses under Standard 3.2.2A

Recent changes to the Food Standards Code have introduced new requirements for all businesses that prepare and serve food in NSW.

From Friday 8 December 2023, businesses that process unpackaged, potentially hazardous food, and serve it ready-to-eat, are required to: • have a qualified onsite Food Safety Supervisor • ensure all food handlers are trained in food safety and hygiene • be able to show their food is safe. Businesses that only slice, weigh, repack, reheat or hot-hold potentially hazardous food they have not made themselves, for example for example slicing fruit or reheating meals provided by a caterer, are required to:

• have a qualified onsite Food Safety Supervisor, and 

• ensure all food handlers are trained in food safety and hygiene. The changes affect most retail and hospitality food businesses, as well as school canteens, childcare and OOSH services, charities and not-for-profits that regularly sell food, delis, supermarkets, coffee vendors and correctional centres.

See the NSW Food Authority website for more information: