The company that sells the popular ‘Lemon Detox’ product, which is widely advertised as a slimming food, has been issued with two penalty notices by the NSW Food Authority for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims, Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan announced last week.”Pure Natural Health Pty Ltd has been fined $660 for making nutritional claims that were not quantified in the nutrition information panel and a further $660 for providing advice that was of a medical nature... ...Read more »

Consumers, cafés and restaurants need to be aware of the potential health risks associated with eating poorly handled raw egg products, NSW Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan has warned.The advice was issued following confirmation of a Salmonella outbreak associated with a food retailer in Albury that saw over 130 people reporting to local health authorities with food poisoning symptoms after eating at the outlet. Some of the victims required hospitalisation. “Investigations by NSW Food... ...Read more »

Food from NSW restaurants, take-aways, bakeries, caterers, pubs and clubs will be safer to eat when legislation passed by the State Government this week takes effect, according to the state’s Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald. “The new Food Amendment (Food Safety Supervisor) Bill will require food businesses in the NSW hospitality and retail food service sector to appoint a food safety supervisor,” he advised. “These Food Safety Supervisors will need to complete... ...Read more »

A NSW Government crackdown on illegal “backyard ” meat processors in Sydney has today shutdown seven unlicensed operators from selling high-risk smallgood products. Inspectors from the NSW Food Authority targeted illicit meat processors, issuing prohibition orders and confiscating almost 120 kilograms of homemade nem chua – a Vietnamese-style fermented pork mince. NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said that it served as a warning to anyone happy to flout the law. “The... ...Read more »

Food retailers and a street food vendor have been caught mishandling and storing food at incorrect temperatures and ended up on the NSW Government’s name and shame website, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said today.A bakery and a Thai restaurant in Western Sydney and a temporary food stall in Cabramatta have received fines for risking contamination of food due to improper storage and display. “As the warm spring weather continues across NSW, this is a timely reminder for all... ...Read more »

Around two in every five NSW food retailers routinely inspected by councils in the last six months of last year failed to comply with all critical food handling practices, according to the most comprehensive food safety data ever published in the state. The report, tabled by the NSW Food Authority, established that the 150 councils in the state combined to initiate 23,352 inspections in the six months to December, 2008. The report comes after new laws were introduced from July 1, 2008 requiring councils... ...Read more »

A record 43 fines in eateries from Armidale to Warringah appear on the Government’s name and shame weekly update, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald advised yesterday. Twenty-nine new names join the list, with nine food outlets receiving two or more fines. “For the second week in a row an eatery appears on the list which was caught allowing cigarette smoking in the food preparation area,” Minister Macdonald noted. “Food outlets need to be aware that it’s an offence... ...Read more »

The NSW Food Authority has reported that 10 per cent of food businesses investigated in the state have failed recent food safety inspections. Of the 23,000 food outlets inspected by local councils in the last six months of 2008, around ten per cent were found to breach or were alleged to have breached NSW food safety laws. The nature of alleged offences ranged from failing to maintain food premises to the required standard of cleanliness, to operating a food business without a license, and evidence... ...Read more »

Two Western Sydney butchers have copped fines totalling more than $15,500 for attempting to rip off consumers by disguising sub-standard meat, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said today.The NSW Food Authority has won prosecutions against the two butchers totalling nine breaches for illegally “dosing” meat with the preservative sulphur dioxide (SO2). “This chemical is used to mask old or poor quality meat to make it look redder and more appealing to consumers, but the practice... ...Read more »

The NSW Government has launched a major crackdown on food outlets across Sydney’s CBD in the lead up to the hectic summer period, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald advised today. “A joint taskforce has been formed between the NSW Food Authority and Sydney City Council,” he said. “Food Authority inspectors are already out there visiting outlets in the CBD in a series of unannounced inspections – this will continue for the next few months.” “The vast... ...Read more »