This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Food safety inspections for the years 2014, 2015, 2016'.


Activity Report Form
Tracking Code: 
Council Details
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1. Before entering any data, please review all the questions and collect the required information.  
2. Some of the questions have been amended from previous years; please read each question carefully. 
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Council Details
Council name
Lane Cove Council
Completed by
Eleanor White
Your full name
Email
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Your email address
Telephone
02 9911 3626
Your daytime contact number
Business Profile
Page  1 of  8 

Business Profile
Q1. Number of fixed premises food businesses categorised as high risk? *
123
‘High risk’ typically means businesses which: 
•  handled and served ready-to-eat foods that may contain pathogenic microorganisms and support their growth, 
and 
•  also had known risk-increasing factors such as: 
º  potential for inadequate/incorrect temperature control (reheated or hot-held food), 
º  larger scale of operations (employed more than 10 people), 
º  large catering operations (different preparation and serving location), and/or  
º  supplied directly to at-risk customers (child care centres; nursing home caterers). 
 
High risk businesses require at least one programmed inspection per year.
Examples:
Takeaway outlets which sold hot-held food; club bistros which held food in a bain marie; premises which sold raw or 
lightly-cooked egg products such as dressings, desserts, sauces, Vietnamese-style pork rolls; large hotels/
restaurants which served ready-to-eat, high risk, uncooked food eg. oysters; large caterers which served ready-to-
eat, high risk food eg. smoked salmon, oysters; childcare centres which served frankfurts, rice.
Q2. Number of fixed premises food businesses categorised as medium risk? *
14
'Medium risk' typically means businesses which: 
•  handled (incl. cooked, thawed) foods that may contain pathogenic microorganisms and support their growth 
•  served ready-to-eat foods that may contain pathogenic microorganisms but not generally support growth, or 
unlikely to contain pathogenic microorganisms but may support growth if present  
•  served high- and medium-risk, ready-to-eat foods only portioned before receipt by the customer 
•  were small or medium scale of operations (less than 10 people), and/or 
•  were small or medium scale catering. 
 
Medium risk businesses require at least one programmed inspection per year.
Examples:
Bakeries; cafés or restaurants which served cooked food eg. lasagne or uncooked food such as pre-prepared 
salads; dairy sections in supermarkets; delicatessens (which did not manufactue product); grocery stores with cut 
fruit; fast food outlets; school canteens which served high risk, ready-to-eat foods; service stations or convenience 
stores which sold pies, milk; takeaway outlets which sold fresh-cooked fish, burgers.
Q3. Number of fixed premises food businesses categorised as low risk? *
5
'Low risk' typically means businesses which: 
•  served foods unlikely to contain pathogenic microorganisms and unlikely to support growth if present  
•  served pre-packed food only, or 
•  supplied foods that are not ready-to-eat. 
 
Low risk businesses should be inspected in response to incident or complaint only.
Examples:
Bars selling packaged crisps only; confectionery stores; liquor shops; newsagents selling packaged low risk foods.
Page  2 of  8 

Q4. Number of temporary food business premises that operated in the council area?
35
‘Temporary food businesses’: food stalls and facilities which handled, prepared and sold food at periodic markets, fairs, 
festivals, shows and non-mobile temporary facilities such as fruit stalls. The same stall present at repeated regular 
events should be counted as 1. 
 
Exclude: mobile food businesses such as vans, food trucks & coffee carts.
Q5. Number of mobile food premises that operated in the council area?
0
'Mobile food premises': food premises which handled, prepared and sold food, were designed to be movable from place 
to place (whether motorised or not) and were self-contained with its own hand wash basin, equipment and consistent 
operating conditions. 
 
Exclude: temporary, non-mobile facilities such as market stalls.
Examples:
Coffee carts, juice carts, food trucks, mobile facilities for hamburgers, hot dogs, kebabs, commercial spits, BBQs 
grills, popcorn, icecream, fairy floss.
Resources
Resources
Q6. Number of authorised officers engaged in food regulatory work over the 12 month reporting period? *
2
Number: total number of people appointed as authorised officers under the Food Act 2003 that have conducted any 
food regulatory work in the reporting year.
Example:
A council with 1 full time authorised officer, plus 2 authorised officers who work on food part-time for 25% of their 
time plus 1 contractor appointed as an authorised officer working 25% of their time on food would answer 4. A 
separate person appointed as an authorised officer who did not perform any food regulatory work in the year is not 
counted.
Q7. Number of full time equivalent (FTE) authorised officers to fulfil food regulatory duties? *
0.3
'FTE': the number of authorised officers required to undertake council's level of food work (as per previous question) if 
they had worked full time on food.
Example:
A council with 1 full time authorised officer, plus 2 authorised officers who work on food part-time for 25% of their 
time plus 1 contractor appointed as an authorised officer working 25% of their time on food would answer 1.75.
Page  3 of  8 

Surveillance Activity
Number of Inspections
Q8. Number of primary inspections conducted for fixed premises? *
132
Primary inspections: total number of inspections of fixed premises which were programmed and completed. 
 
Exclude re-inspections for unsatisfactory issues, and inspections of mobile and temporary premises.
Example:
If a council inspects 50 high risk fixed businesses twice per year and 25 medium risk fixed businesses once per 
year, all of which are completed, then the answer is 125.
Q9. Number of primary inspections conducted for mobile premises?
0
'Primary inspections': inspections of mobile premises which were programmed and completed. 
 
Exclude re-inspections for unsatisfactory issues, and inspections of fixed and temporary premises.
Example:
If a festival in a council area had 2 mobile coffee carts and inspected them both, and the council has 7 regular 
mobile food businesses selling ice cream, sandwiches, coffee and hot pies and completes inspections of them all, 
the answer is 9. Temporary food stalls at the festival should not be counted.
Q10. Number of primary inspections conducted for temporary premises?
23
'Primary inspections': inspections of temporary premises which were programmed and completed. 
 
Exclude re-inspections for unsatisfactory issues, and inspections of fixed and mobile premises.
Number of Businesses
Q11. Number of high and medium risk, fixed premises food businesses inspected? *
132
'Fixed premises businesses': include the number of all high and medium risk fixed premises that were inspected. 
 
Exclude multiple visits to the same business, any visit to low risk fixed premises and all mobile and temporary premises 
inspected.
Example:
If a council inspects 50 high risk fixed businesses twice per year and 25 medium risk fixed businesses once per 
year, all of which are completed, then the answer is 75.
Based on your answers to Q1, Q2 and Q11, your council completed 96.35% of the required inspections for high and 
medium risk businesses 
If this is not correct, please review your answers and amend.
Page  4 of  8 

Q12. Number of fixed premises food businesses requiring re-inspection? *
20
'Re-inspection': Fixed premises which required follow-up to a primary inspection due to significant breaches or possible 
enforcement action. 
 
'Significant breaches': those which pose a food safety risk or are matters which cannot be left until the next routine 
inspection. 
 
Do not count premises where matters are left to the next routine inspection, the officer 'pops in' to check on a minor 
issue or if council routinely re-visits for minor issues with no enforcement action taken.
Examples:
Re-inspections due to hand washing, temperature control, cross contamination, pest control, inadequate cleaning 
and sanitation, sale of food past 'use by' dates and maintenance issues that pose a food safety risk.
Q13. Number of fixed premises food businesses requiring additional re-inspection(s)? *
0
'Additional re-inspection': Fixed premises requiring further follow-up after a first re-inspection.
Example:
A premises found at primary inspection to have evidence of inadequate cleaning of surfaces and equipment and at 
re-inspection is found to have not addressed the issues, requiring a further reinspection the next day would count as 
1.
Complaints
Complaints
Where food complaints were determined to be in relation to multiple matters (eg. both hygiene and labelling) 
then please count that complaint only in the category identified as the most significant matter at the time of 
the investigation.
Number of complaints investigated in relation to alleged:
Q14. Hygiene & handling *
5
Number of complaint investigations which related to cleaning, sanitation, pest control, temperature control, storage, 
potential for cross contamination, etc.
Q15. Foreign matter *
0
Number of complaint investigations which related to food contaminated with foreign matter.
Q16. Food quality including deterioration *
1
Number of complaint investigations which related to poor food quality because of mould, damaged packaging, staleness 
etc.
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Q17. Labelling & advertising *
1
Number of complaint investigations which related to incorrect labelling, missing labelling such as country of origin 
information, false or misleading advertising, etc. and may include food sold after a 'use by' date.
Q18. Single-incident foodborne illness *
2
Number of complaint investigations which relateding to single-incident cases of alleged foodborne illness (cases of 
either a single person or a single family).
Q19. Other *
0
Number of complaint investigations which related to other issues under the Food Act 2003.
Enforcement
Enforcement
Q20. Number of warnings issued *
20
'Warnings': number of warnings written on reports such as Food Premises Assessment Reports (FPARs), plus Warning 
Letters issued by authorised officers, for all premises types. 
 
Exclude instances where Notices or Orders were issued.
Example:
A premises was found to have no temperature monitoring thermometer on the premises, and was initially issued a 
verbal warning with instruction to get one. The issue was to be checked at a subsequent inspection.
Q21. Number of Improvement Notices issued? *
6
Formal Improvement Notices issued relating to Food Act breaches, for all premises types.
Q22. Number of Penalty Notices issued to high risk fixed premises?
3
Penalty Notices issued to high risk, fixed premises only relating to Food Act breaches.
Examples of high risk businesses:
Takeaway outlet selling hot-held food; club bistro holding food in a bain marie; premises selling raw or lightly-cooked 
egg products such as dressings, desserts, sauces, Vietnamese-style pork rolls; large hotel/restaurant serving ready-
to-eat, high risk, uncooked food eg. oysters; large caterers serving ready-to-eat, high risk food eg. smoked salmon, 
oysters; childcare centre serving frankfurts, rice.
Page  6 of  8 

Q23. Number of Penalty Notices issued to medium risk fixed premises?
0
Penalty Notices issued to medium risk, fixed premises only relating to Food Act breaches.
Examples of medium risk businesses:
Bakery; café or restaurant serving cooked food eg lasagne or uncooked food such as pre-prepared salads; dairy 
section in supermarket; delicatessen (not manufacturing product); grocery store with cut fruit; fast food outlet; school 
canteen serving high risk, ready-to-eat foods; service station or convenience store selling pies, milk; takeaway outlet 
selling fresh-cooked fish, burgers.
Q24. Number of seizure notices issued? *
0
Seizure notices issued for Food Act breaches, for all premises types.
Q25. Number of Prohibition Orders served? *
0
Prohibition Orders issued for Food Act breaches, for all premises types.
Business Inspection Outcomes
Business Inspection Outcomes
Page  7 of  8 

Q32. Number of premises with no or only very small numbers of issues found at primary inspection?
'Issues' (if any): administrative or minor issues not impacting on food safety. On the FPAR, results equivalent to 1-8 
points.
Examples:
Business not notified; no designated Food Safety Supervisor; chipped/broken cutlery.
Q33. Number of premises with multiple issues but no enforcement action required at primary inspection?
'Issues': breaches which potentially impact on food safety, not administrative in nature, generally not isolated in nature; 
or larger numbers of issues that do not significantly impact on food safety. On the FPAR, results equivalent to 9-15 
points.
Examples:
Isolated instances of temperature non-compliance across the premises, ranging between 5-10 C above or below 
requirements; or single-use towels not available at the hand wash basin; or unclean walls, benches and shelving.
Q34. Number of premises with critical food safety failures at primary inspection?
'Critical food safety failures': those very likely or have impacted directly on food safety. On the FPAR, results equivalent 
to more than 15 points or any single 8 point breach.
Examples:
No hand wash basin; uncontrolled pest infestation.
 Q35. Please add any other comments regarding your annual activity submission? *
Lane Cove Council is unable to provide answers to the non compulsory questions 32-34 due to the lack of prior 
warning that this information would be required as Council has been unable to capture this data.  
 
Lane Cove Council experienced a change in its Environmental Health staff towards the end of this reporting period 
and also left council without a EHO for a period of 8 weeks. This resulted in a significant number of its food shops 
having thier primary inspections in the last few weeks of the reporting period. Although all primary inspections were 
completed many of the required follow up inspections required as a result of these inspections  have/will be completed 
in the next reporting period. 
Q36. Has this submission been approved by the General Manager of the council? *
Yes
No
You may be contacted by NSW Food Authority staff to verify responses.
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