FOOD SAFETY RATING PROGRAM

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Health—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

Ms BEDFORD: You will want to name someone, I'm sure, sir.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If the leader—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned a first and second time; if I hear another interjection from him, he will leave the chamber. Member for Florey.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, did the leader say something?

Ms BEDFORD: It must have been an echo. Thank you, sir. Can the Minister for Health inform the house about the proposed food safety rating program?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:33): I thank the member for Florey for the question. Food ratings programs, or 'scores on doors' as they are commonly known, are used in some other states in Australia and overseas as a way of informing the public about the food hygiene standards in restaurants and cafes. The score for each business is calculated using the results of regular food safety inspections undertaken by environmental health officers. This score is then usually represented as a number, letter or star and displayed at the business.

In 2011, the Social Development Committee (of which the member for Florey is a member, and I think had a lot to do with this recommendation) conducted an inquiry into food safety programs. A key recommendation was that a voluntary statewide food safety rating scheme be established in South Australia. Similar programs are currently operating in Brisbane, Sydney, London and Singapore.

The South Australian government is committed to developing a program that can be voluntarily adopted by councils and businesses. The state government will work in partnership with local government and consult with industry and other parties, including consumers, to develop a pilot program. The first step is to complete work currently underway to ensure consistent standards across councils. Once this consistency is in place, work on the design and tools needed to underpin the program will begin.

A 12-month pilot program, as recommended by the Social Development Committee, will be undertaken and assessed before the system is finalised. It is expected that the draft system may be ready to begin with a 12-month pilot program in the second half of 2014.

The government supports initiatives such as 'scores on doors', as they encourage food businesses to comply with food safety regulation and help empower consumers to make informed decisions about the food that they eat.