Hygiene ‘scores on doors’ idea not wanted by SA restaurants

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDOct 5 2010

As an independent MP ‘eggs’ on the procedure to come down tough on eateries’ health standards across South Australia (SA), restaurants feel it is futile effort. Bob Such conducted research which found that 712 food outlets had been warned or fined for health breaches so far this year. As per current SA regulations, councils are prevented from highlighting offending outlets unless they have been convicted. Dr. Such feels differently.

According to him the procedure of “scores on doors” has been successful in NSW and abroad. “For example in the United Kingdom they have a system called 'scores on the doors' where the inspections of eateries is placed not only on the restaurant door but it's on the internet and other sources…So people can find out quite easily whether somewhere where they want to go for a meal meets the standards….There is reluctance to be too open about it because of fear of litigation, so what we have essentially is a system where we don't know what the standard is in a particular eatery,” he said.

The CEO of Restaurant and Catering SA, Sally Neville disagrees and said, “I think it's crazy talk quite frankly and I'll write to [Health] Minister [John] Hill and advise him of our opinion because I just don't think it's in the public interest to have a score of that nature on a door.”