How can Council help me with food complaints?
Council Environmental Health Officers will investigate most food complaints within the Tamworth Regional Council area including complaints about:
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single case food poisoning
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food handling
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food contamination or foreign substance in foods
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the hygiene of a food premises
Please contact the Council Customer Service Centre on (02) 6767 5555.
Food poisoning
If you suspect that you have Food Poisoning from some food that you have purchased, please seek medical help first, and then all complaints should be made to the NSW Food Authority Contact Centre:
- phone 1300 552 406, Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 5:30pm
- voice mail service is available after hours on 1300 552 406
- email contact@foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
- fax (02) 9647 0026
The Food Authority will require the following information to investigate your food poisoning complaint:
- the nature, time and location of the incident
- details of the restaurant, function or event where you believe you consumed the contaminated food including full street address details
- if anyone has become ill, their symptoms and when they started to become ill
- what they ate at the suspected meal and what others ate as well, including dips and sauces
- if there is any left over food that could be tested if an officer determines this is warranted
Food Recalls
What is a food recall?
A food recall is defined as ‘an action taken to remove from distribution, sale and consumption, food which may pose a health and safety risk to consumers’. Food Standards Australia New Zealand coordinates and monitors food recalls within Australia. See Food Standards Australia New Zealand for further information.
All complaints should be made to the NSW Food Authority Contact Centre:
- phone 1300 552 406, Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 5:30pm
- voice mail service is available after hours on 1300 552 406
- email contact@foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
- fax (02) 9647 0026
When you are making your formal complaint, ensure that you provide the NSW Food Authority Contact Centre with the following information:
- your name, address and phone number
- the brand name, food product name and manufacturer of the food product
- the size and package type
- package codes and dates
- name and location of the store and the date you purchased the food product
Name and Shame Register (Food Safety Offences)
Council Environmental Health Officers inspect most premises that sell food within the region. There are some exceptions, which are premises that are inspected by the NSW Food Authority.
Council officers issue penalty notices if the circumstances warrant. However, under normal circumstances a penalty notice is only issued after considerable efforts have been made to rectify a situation, including visits to and discussions with the operators of the food business. If the circumstances are serious, a penalty notice or notices may be issued by Council without any warning. In this case, the necessary documentation would be served on the food operator/owner to rectify the situation.
The NSW Food Authority may also issue penalty notices (with or without warning) but these normally relate to premises that are inspected by the Food Authority.
Individuals and businesses may receive either a penalty notice for their alleged offence or be prosecuted before a court.
Council provides information to the the NSW Food Authority who in turn publishes lists of businesses that have been issued with penalty notices or found guilty by a court of a breach of NSW food safety laws. These lists are known as the Name and Shame Register. Publishing the lists gives consumers more information to make decisions about where they eat or buy food.
The Name and Shame Register includes Penalty Notices issued by both council officers and the NSW Food Authority:
Nothing appears on the list until the penalty notice is paid.
Further Information
For more information please contact the following: