Food safety fines served up

FINED: Cr John Arkan is one of four food outlet owners who has been issued fines by Coffs Harbour City Council this year.

FAILING to comply with food safety standards has landed a Coffs Harbour councillor with $1320 in fines.
Cr John Arkan was issued three fines by Coffs Harbour City Council on June 25 this year following an inspection of his Temple Gardens Curried Away van.
Council inspectors found that Cr Arkan had failed to take measures to ensure hands are washed when handling food, failed to store food in a way that it is protected from the likelihood of contamination, and failed to store potentially hazardous food under temperature control.
He had previously been given warnings for each of the three offences.
Cr Arkan told The Advocate he had not contested the fines and he has since made changes to ensure compliance. The van was one of four food outlets fined according to data by the NSW Food Authority.
An inspection of Mick Hundal's Spice Rack Indian Restaurant in Woolgoolga on May 20 resulted in a $440 fine for failing to take practicable measures to prevent pests entering the premises.
Frank's Bar & Restaurant in Sawtell was meanwhile handed $1760 in fines on June 11 for failing to maintain fixtures, fittings and equipment to required standards, and failing to ensure a food safety supervisor had been appointed.
On May 19, Old Johns was also issued a $660 fine for failing to ensure a food safety supervisor had been appointed.
Fines are published on the NSW Food Authority's name and shame database to improve food safety standards by publicly "outing" those who did the wrong thing.