The owner of a Chinese restaurant has been prosecuted for nine counts of food hygiene breaches. Mr Han Kwan Chua, the owner of The Imperial Chinese Buffet, Great Oaks House, Great Oaks, Basildon, pleaded guilty to nine charges of food hygiene breaches at a hearing at Basildon Magistrate’s Court (Photos on Flickr).
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He was fined £400 for each of the nine charges along with £1,814 costs and a £15 victim surcharge (totalling £5,429).
Mr Chua was taken to court following a visit to the premises by Basildon Council’s environmental health team on 1 December 2011. Officers found that there was no system for managing food safety at the premises, allowing the potential for dangerous contamination of food.
There was no hot water and so the facilities for cleaning and disinfecting utensils and equipment, and washing hands were inadequate.
The standard of cleanliness in the kitchen was poor particularly around the ceiling panels, grouting between the wall tiles and chiller door handle.
Environmental health officers also found that food handlers were not trained and there were no food safety documents or records being maintained.
Advice and guidance about how to comply with food hygiene legislation was given to Mr Chua for more than five years, however it was continually ignored.
Councillor Richard Moore, cabinet member with responsibility for environmental health, said: “Prosecution is always the last resort for the council and we gave Mr Chua a number of opportunities to comply with the law but he persistently failed to do so which gave us no choice but to take action.
“It is essential that residents and visitors to the borough can choose and trust the places where food is prepared and available and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that food is prepared in clean, safe and hygienic conditions.”
Basildon Council participates in the Food Standards Agency’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme that allows consumers to find out ‘hygiene scores’ in the restaurants, takeaways or food shops in their neighbourhood.
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