Count for scores on doors is 'inaccurate'

Mr House, commenting on a proposal to introduce a ''scores on doors'' scheme to identify hygiene standards of eateries and food outlets, dismissed as highly inaccurate a consultant's report to the government which said there were up to 88,000 cases of food poisoning in the ACT each year.

''Commonsense would indicate 30 per cent of Canberra's population does not have a food-borne illness every year,'' he said.

In a report issued in December last year, ACT Auditor-General Maxine Cooper said there had been an average of only four food-borne illness outbreaks annually from 2004 to 2009.

Mr House said he would prefer to rely on the auditor's figures than the out-dated data by KPMG, which acknowledged its estimates had a high degree of uncertainty.

The ACT government Health Directorate commissioned a regulatory impact statement from KPMG last August which discussed the advantages and disadvantages of four options for ''scores on doors''.

The statement said ''scores on doors'' had successfully increased food hygiene standards in the United States, Canada and Denmark.

Mr House said the proposal for displaying graded compliance with food standards had been shown in the US to damage businesses although the food they produced was safe.

''We certainly believe where a restaurant has genuinely failed a rigorous and consistently applied set of food safety standards the public should be notified of that,'' he said.

But as shown by the Auditor- General, the rules were not being applied consistently in the ACT by health standards inspectors. She said there should be a document to explain to inspectors and the industry how the law was to be applied.

Mr House said ACT club food outlets were regarded as low risk by health inspectors although there was no document specifying what was high risk. No club food outlet had been closed for non-compliance and he was unaware of any which had received a notice requiring improvement.

''Scores on doors'' would not have an impact on food safety because it did not have an impact on the laws or the way they were enforced. There are 2569 ACT registered food businesses which would be subject to the proposed scheme.

There are only seven inspector positions and a ''scores on doors'' system would require increased inspections, costing the government about $16 million and business $800,000 over 10 years.

Mr House said the fundamental position should be if a venue was compliant it would be open; if not it should be closed.

''Grading venues that are all compliant is, I think, dangerous and unnecessary. An impression being created is that Canberra's food industry is replete with poor standards,'' he said.

This had occurred because of a spate of non-compliance in restaurants described by health protection as focusing on Asian cuisine.

But few eateries had been found to be deficient, albeit based on inconsistent standards. The focus should be on the inspection regime panned by the Auditor-General.

In her report, she said: ''There are shortcomings in the regulation and administration of food safety that need to be addressed to provide the community with assurance that the food they buy and eat is safe.''

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said the ''scores on doors'' scheme could make food safer, and food regulations more transparent.