The NSW Government says the success of the Name and Shame register reflects increasing public demand for safe food information.

The site has passed the four million hits mark two years since its inception.

Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan said the level of traffic demonstrated that consumers want to know the “best and safest food service businesses to spend their hard earned money”.

“Name and Shame provides that information to them in an easy to navigate one stop shop,” Whan said.

More than 2,000 food businesses have been issued more than 3,500 penalty notices and 63 prosecutions for violations of food safety laws since Name and Shame records began.

The top five reasons penalty notices are issued include cleanliness failures with premises or equipment (37 per cent), failure to wash hands or maintain hand basins (13 per cent), failure to exclude or eradicate pests (12 per cent), failure to hold food at safe temperatures (10 per cent), and failure to protect food from contamination (10 per cent).

Mr Whan said the name and shame site serves two purposes—not only protecting consumers but the food service industry as well.

“The vast majority of NSW food businesses do the right thing and to protect these businesses and consumers we will continue to expose and penalise those who flout the law,” he said.

“There are over 36,000 food businesses in NSW who are subject to routine inspections by local Councils. When you consider that 2,000 have appeared on Name and Shame it represents only a small proportion overall.

“The other encouraging fact is that the Name and Shame concept is working – most businesses learn from their mistakes and work with authorities to improve food safety standards in their business. Just 204 of the businesses penalised have received penalty notices at subsequent inspections.