Eat Safe Fraser Coast - FAQ's
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Every licensed food business (exclusing Short Term Food Stalls and Domestic Water Carriers) in the Fraser Coast region will be audited and given a star rating (No star, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars) based on their compliance with the Food Act 2006, the Food Standards Code, and good management practices.
The aim of the Eat Safe Fraser Coast program is for Council to work with licensed food businesses to provide both assistance and incentives to achieve and maintain the highest standards in food safety.
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5 stars - Excellent Performer
Fully compliant with the Food Act 2006 and overall very high standard of food safety management practices.
4 stars - Very Good Performer
High level of compliance with the Food Act 2006 and overall good standard of food safety management practices.
3 stars - Good Performer
Good level of compliance with the Food Act 2006 and overall acceptable standard of food safety management practices.
2 stars - Poor Performer
Low level of compliance with the Food Act 2006 and a poor overall standard of food safety management practices.
No stars - Non-Compliant Performer
A general failure to comply with the Food Act 2006 with major effort required to rectify issues. -
There are a number of benefits to the Eat Safe Fraser Coast program including:
- Recognising and rewarding high-performing businesses;
- Providing consumers with confidence in the Fraser Coast’s food industry;
- Potential for annual fee savings; and
- Potential to reduce the frequency of Council’s audits for businesses that show good, very good and excellent food safety practices.
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Eat Safe Fraser Coast is designed to reward good food business operators and should mean no additional financial burdens for businesses.
Food businesses with a 3, 4 or 5 star rating will receive discounts on their licence fee if they maintain their star rating.
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Eat Safe Fraser Coast star ratings are determined from the findings of Council's Eat Safe Audit.
The star rating will give an indication of their compliance with the Food Act 2006, the Food Standards Code, and good management practices such as temperature records, cleaning schedules, etc.
The business will also have the option to display their star rating to customers.
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The Eat Safe Audit will be very similar to past audits.
Council will discuss the results of the Eat Safe Audit, clarify any findings and provide further information as necessary. Immediately following the Eat Safe Audit, the food business will receive a copy of the Food Safety Audit Form and the Agreement to Display Food Safety Rating Form if applicable.
Food safety performance details will be collected through the following methods:
- inspections and audits;
- discussions with staff;
- examination of documentation; and
- observation of business activities.
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Audits will be conducted at a frequency aligned with the star rating. Very good and excellent performers will be subject to fewer audits. Businesses performing poorly will be audited more frequently.
Council may also conduct audits on a more frequent basis if complaints are received or if deemed necessary.
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Yes, you can. Businesses that have made improvements to their food safety management practices since their initial Eat Safe Audit and want to improve their star rating can lodge an Eat Safe Audit/Reassessment Request Application Form (and pay the associated fee) and request reassessment.
The timeframe to lodge a reassessment application is after six (6) months - for a three-star rating or more.
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You can apply to have your star rating reviewed and this must be requested on the Eat Safe Audit/Reassessment Request Application Form (and pay the associated fee) within ten (10) business days of the initial Eat Safe Audit.
Council will review the audit results and determine if the star rating should be revised.
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No. Similar to current audits undertaken by Council, audits of all licenced food premises are mandatory.
All licensed food businesses will be issued with an Eat Safe star rating.
If you receive a star rating of 3 stars or more, you can choose to display your rating both onsite and on Council's website, however, you must sign the Agreement prior to receiving your Star Rating Certificate.
You can choose to remove your star rating from display at any time.
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Food businesses that achieve an overall rating of 3 stars or more can choose to have their star rating displayed at the business premises and on Council's website.
These ratings will be displayed online from April 2016.
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A business that receives a star rating of 2 stars of below will be required to make improvements that ensure their business complies with the Food Act 2006, the Food Standards Code, and good management practices.
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If a new owner buys a restaurant and a new legal entity takes over the business, which is usually the case, they would become a new licence holder and would be audited to receive their own star rating.
If the new owner just bought all the shares in the company and the same company ran the restaurant, the licence holder would not change and the rating would remain in place.