HUNGRY Jack’s has been fined more than $1700 after food inspectors found two breaches at its Bathurst outlet.
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The offences are detailed on the NSW Food Authority’s name and shame register, launched in 2007.
According to the Food Authority’s website, inspectors found two breaches of the Food Standards Code at the Bathurst Hungry Jack’s outlet on April 11 this year. The offences are listed on the website as:
n Fail to ensure eating and drinking utensils and food contact surfaces of equipment are in a clean and sanitary condition – plastic and metal containers for storing food not cleaned or properly sanitised, prior warnings given.
n Fail to maintain all fixtures, fittings and equipment to the required standard of cleanliness – previous warnings given.
Hungry Jack’s Pty Ltd was fined $880 for each of the breaches.
The infringement notices, issued by Bath-urst Regional Council, were listed on the register on May 31.
A spokesperson for Hungry Jack’s yesterday told the Western Advocate that the company takes its food safety responsibilities seriously and “has a strong record of maintaining high standards across more than 300 restaurants Australiawide”.
“Hungry Jack’s was disappointed to receive penalty notices for alleged food safety breeches at its Bathurst restaurant and has taken remedial action to address the issues and ensure its usual high standards are maintained,” the spokesperson said.
Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkin-son, the minister responsible for the NSW Food Authority, yesterday told the Western Advocate the name and shame register was designed to help consumers “make informed decisions about where to spend their hard-earned money”.
“Consumers deserve to know what goes on behind closed doors and have the right to eat clean, fresh and safe food,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
“Being featured on the name and shame register is punishment in itself.
“Consumers will vote with their feet, if they see your business on the website they are less likely to choose to spend their money there.
“The name and shame register has attracted more than four million hits since its inception nearly three years ago, successfully meeting the increasing public demand for safe food information. All NSW food businesses are treated equally under the law.
“However, it is disappointing to see the big multinationals feature on the name and shame register – as large corporations with established procedures in place and the ability to monitor and enforce those procedures I would expect they’d know better.”
