Food Safety: Poor hygiene standards leads to fine for takaway owner

THE owner of a Middlesbrough takeaway has been fined after inspectors discovered poor hygiene standards (Photo Gallery Below).

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Environmental Health Officers from Middlesbrough Council’s Community Protection Service were carrying out a routine food hygiene inspection at Victoria Takeaway on Victoria Road, Middlesbrough on March 7 when they found the premises and food equipment in a poor state of cleanliness and repair and a lack of food safety management.

Senior Environmental Health Officer Melissa Clapham said: “The conditions in the premises highlighted a lack of suitable food safety procedures and poor management of hygiene.

“These conditions meant that food could not be prepared without risk of contamination.

“The owner had previously been warned about poor standards of cleanliness and inadequate food safety management practices but failed to make improvements. This resulted in a further fall in standards.”

Owner Sharbat Khan was charged under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 with failing to manage food safety and failing to keep his food premises and food equipment clean and in good repair.

After pleading guilty to three charges at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (December 20) Khan was fined £100 for each offence and ordered to pay £571 towards costs, plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Community Protection, said: “There are 1,200 food businesses in Middlesbrough and more than 90% maintain good standards of hygiene.

“This is a credit to the town and an achievement that is recognised through the Council’s food hygiene star rating scheme.

“The Council provides advice and support to help local food businesses comply with food laws – but those which fail to safeguard public health can expect to face prosecution.”