Hygiene program scores with locals

The City of Sydney Scores on Doors program, which grades the food safety and hygiene standards of inner city eateries and displays them on shop windows, may soon become a mandatory system.

The six-month trial of the program began in July this year and is being conducted in collaboration with the NSW Food Authority.

A spokesperson for the NSW Food Authority said they will collect feedback from participants and consumers ahead of the official roll out of the voluntary state-wide program in 2011 and are not ruling out making it a compulsory scheme.

“There is tremendous support for this concept, we are responding to strong public demand for transparency, accountability and accessible information about the safety of the food consumers eat,” the spokesperson said.

Owner of ‘A’ rated Glebe restaurant, The Cushion House, Mustafa Erener, wants to make his rating a permanent fixture and said it has attracted more customers to his business.

“It’s all about competition and image, if you’re clean and hygienic and people see that, you’ll get more customers… it’s not hard,” he said.

Fifty inner city cafes and restaurants have so far committed to the trial with 31 scoring A for excellent, four Bs for good and three Cs for acceptable. Only one premise is rated P for pending and ratings are yet to be awarded to 11 premises currently awaiting inspection.

Mr. Erener attributes the low number of eateries taking part in the trial to fear. He supports a push to make the program compulsory across the state to ensure high standards of food safety are maintained.

“If your business has nothing to hide then why won’t you do it? I think a lot of owners are scared, but they should go for it, you’re business might even do better,” he said.

Director of City Operations Garry Harding is also encouraging more local business to sign up for the trial and said those already part of it are sending a clear message to other businesses.

“They are trail-blazers committed to improving standards. I hope more restaurants and cafes will join them,” he said.

Around 3,000 cafes and restaurants throughout the City of Sydney receive regular unscheduled health inspections. Those with unacceptable food safety standards may also be named and shamed on the NSW Food Authority’s register.

But some eateries are hesitant to take part in the program because of the low participation number. Owner of Pablo’s Charcoal Chicken in Surry Hills Adrian Mullet would like his business to take part but says in order for it to be effective, all Sydney eateries should be involved.

“We want to do it now, but with no one else in the area doing it, there’s no basis of comparison.

“If you’re the only place in your area that does it happens that you get a B, it might have a negative impact,” he said.

By Stephanie Jeanes