Food safety

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand is a government agency which controls the Food Standards Code that all food handling businesses must comply with. The Code contains a lot of information, so if you need help or guidance regarding food safety please contact us.

The City of Adelaide’s Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are involved in conducting routine inspections of food handling businesses to ensure compliance with the Food Act 2001 and regulations as well as to provide advice and guidance on food safety to business owners.

Some areas they look out for are:

• deliveries
• storage
• processing (preparing, cooking, serving)
• displays (bain-maries, cabinets, etc.)
• packaging
• transportation and distribution
• recalls/food disposal
• health, hygiene and knowledge of the food handlers
• general condition and hygiene of the food premises.

If your food businesses are inspected by EHOs and is found to be compliant we will waive your inspection fee.

Those food businesses that are non-compliant will incur a food inspection fee for the initial routine inspection. For each non-compliant follow-up inspection (required until the business is inspected and is compliant), a fee will also be charged.

All inspection fees are based on the City of Adelaide’s fees and charges schedule.

Planning to prepare or sell food at an event? There are some things you need to do to keep everyone safe:

• have hand-wash facilities within your stall/van
• sanitise your utensils and food contact surfaces
• control your food temperature - have a digital probe thermometer ready to use
• protect your food from contamination (i.e. during transportation, storage and display)
• if you're using barbeques or hotplates, make sure you have a protective barrier to prevent public access
• dispose of sullage and wastewater from hand-wash facilities, cooking, utensil wash facilities into sullage tanks, sewage drains or back at home. Do not dispose of wastewater onto Park Lands, storm water drains, the Torrens Lake or any other water courses or public land.

Refer to the Temporary Food Premises guidelines for more information and your responsibilities under the Food Act 2001 and Food Safety Standards.

You’ve probably seen the gold stars in the window of your favourite food outlet. These are the result of the Food Safety Rating Scheme, designed to inform the public about the food safety practices of food businesses.

The rating is calculated using the results of our routine food safety inspections. Businesses are awarded 0, 3, 4 or 5 stars. Currently, businesses can voluntarily choose to display their certificate at the site of inspection.

We believe that there are significant public health benefits to be achieved from this Scheme. More information regarding this Scheme, supporting documentation and contact details can be found on the SA Health Food Safety Rating Scheme website. If you can’t see a star rating in your favourite restaurant, ask them about it!

Many customers request a “doggy bag” to take leftovers home with them if they are unable to finish their meal. The Food Act does not prevent food businesses from providing doggy bags to customers, so it is up to each business if they wish to do this.

Consumers should expect leftover food to be placed in a new, food grade container and the date should be marked on it. Make sure you either eat or refrigerate your leftovers as soon as possible. If you are reheating them later, make sure they are piping hot before you enjoy them.

Food businesses such as hospitals, age care centres, child care centres and mobile food service delivery organisations are required to :

• implement a suitable Food safety program; or
• review an existing Food safety program to ensure it complies with the Food safety standards; and
• coordinate an audit of the Food Safety Program by a Department of Health approved Food Safety Auditor.

For further information on Food Safety Programs and a list of approved food safety auditors within South Australia, please visit SA Health.

The City of Adelaide also provides a free online food safety training program. 

The SA Health’s pages on food industry sector Information and food safety has a wealth of additional information about food safety. If you have any questions relating to the City of Adelaide’s EHOs and their processes, please contact the City of Adelaide's Customer Centre: