Wakefield food businesses: 100% COVID compliant
FOOD businesses in the Wakefield Regional Council district have done a remarkable job introducing new COVID-19 measures, after recent inspections revealed 100 per cent compliance across the board.
Wakefield Environmental Health Officer Willbur Colaco said out of the 77 businesses Council engaged in an intensive COVID-19 awareness campaign, 33 were identified as ‘high risk food businesses’.
These businesses handle high risk foods (i.e. meat, milk, fish, eggs, rice etc) and have the most interaction with preparing, serving and selling food directly to customers.
“Council successfully worked with these higher risk outlets through regular inspections and by communicating updated COVID-19 information as soon as it became available from SA Health,” Mr Colaco said.
“We’re pleased to say that all 33, except two that decided to close during the restrictions, scored a 100 per cent compliance rate from our inspections. They ticked all the boxes for cleanliness, hygiene, safety and proper food storage.
“For months, food businesses, including cafes, pubs, bakeries and eateries, had to make the switch to take-away only, with strict hygiene and social distancing rules attached.
“This was a challenging time for them, with so much uncertainty and a lot of pressure to stay on top of the new protocols. Given this and their outstanding compliance scores throughout, they deserve a pat on the back.”
Council conducts regular food inspections in line with the Food Safety Standards. These assess the safety and hygiene of an operating food business, which include home-based businesses too.