Official Information Request - food inspections

Sent: Friday, 10 November 2023 2:25 pm
Subject: LGOIMA request - food inspections

I refer to your LGOIMA request of 17 October 2023 and respond below as per your email:

1. How many places qualify as needing inspections in council's area?
503

2. For the year ending October 17 how many food inspections has the council undertaken?
150

3. How many have failed/been non-compliant?
No premises have failed or been non-compliant. Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) has given 13 ‘unacceptable’ outcomes in the year prior to 17 October; this excludes outcomes given to National Programmes which are verified by third party organisations.

4. What were the reasons? As much detail as possible please, including descriptions of what inspectors saw.
The majority of ‘unacceptable’ outcomes given for template food control plans (FCP) is due to a lack of record keeping by the business. We have had a limited number of ‘unacceptable’ outcomes for cleaning and sanitising, storage and stock rotation, and time and temperature control. Please note that businesses may receive a ‘non-conforming’ outcome in a certain area but still receive an ‘acceptable’ overall verification outcome.

5. How many of the total have needed to address an issue and what do these include?
All 13 businesses given ‘unacceptable’ outcomes were issued corrective action requests (CARs). To satisfy a CAR the business must show evidence that the issue has been corrected. This may include evidence such as temperature logs, photographs of storage areas, supplier lists, pest control invoices, maintenance records, complaints records etc.

6. What followed the results? (I.e. premises closed, licence revoked, remedial steps needed)
No businesses have had their registration suspended or cancelled in the year prior to 17 October. Please note: Council is obligated to notify the public of any closures and this is undertaken via Council’s website.

7. What are the most common reasons for fail/non-compliant grades?
Refer to No.4.

8. How does the council conduct inspections? Does it follow a grading system?
Council verifies businesses in line with the Food Act and associated regulations/notices. A number of topics are covered during a verification. Attached are a list of topics and their description, and a blank verification report used by RLC.

Verification topics and their descriptions

Blank verification report

9. How often are premises inspected?
Verification frequency depends on the type of registration the business holds and their compliance history. Attached is a verification frequency chart.

A chart of how often verification occurs

10. Have any checks been the result of a complaint and what was it?
Council has investigated seven food complaints in the year prior to 17 October covering foreign bodies in food and gastro intestinal complaints.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response/decision. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz, online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

Publication of responses to LGOIMA requests

Please note: Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Rotorua Lakes Council website after they have been responded to, with requesters’ personal details withheld. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Council on info@rotorualc.nz.

Regards