Food Safety Star Rating Scheme

Council's award winning Food Safety Star Rating Project is a 'scores on doors' style program that publicly recognises local food businesses that make a consistent and serious commitment to food safety.  

Businesses are awarded three, four or five stars dependent on their level of compliance with the star rating criteria. The criteria is designed to ensure that only the City's safest businesses receive star ratings.

Which businesses can participate?

Participation in the program is voluntary and open to businesses in the following sectors only:

• Restaurants
• Cafés
• Takeaways
• Clubs/Pubs serving food. 

How are star ratings awarded and publicised?

When conducting primary routine food business inspections, Council's Environmental Health Officers will generate a 'rating' based on assessment of critical food safety criteria. Businesses which successfully achieve a star rating are listed on Council's Food Star Rated Premises web page and awarded with certificates. The certificates include the star rating and a brief outline of the principles attributed to the star rating awarded.  The certificates also display the date of inspection, the expiry date and a disclaimer. Display of the certificate is voluntary, but is encouraged. Food businesses that do not meet the criteria will not be rated.

Star Rating Criteria

Council's Food Safety star rating criteria fact sheet outlines the criteria in detail and can be downloaded.  In summary the principals of each star rating are:

Five Stars

• Has achieved full compliance in critical areas of food safety
• Is using best practice systems designed to protect its customers
• Displaying a consistent approach to food safety.

Four Stars

• Has achieved full compliance in critical areas of food safety
• Is using best practice systems designed to protect its customers.

Three Stars

• Has achieved full compliance in critical areas of food safety. 

For further information:

Contact Council's Environmental Health Team 8.30 - 10am, Monday to Friday on 9911 6555 or email: health@canadabay.nsw.gov.au