Food hygiene offences cost the owner of a Stockton pizza shop more than £350 in costs and a community order for 160 hours of unpaid work following a successful prosecution by Stockton Council’s environmental health officers (Photos on Flickr).
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Mr Jalal Mousa, aged 39, of Mandale Road, Middlesbrough, food business operator of Pedro’s Pizzeria on Durham Road, Stockton, was ordered to pay £350 in costs after pleading guilty to four offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006.
Teesside Magistrates heard that a routine inspection by environmental health officers found the take-away pizza shop in a filthy, greasy and dirty condition.
As the owner, Mr Mousa has overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with the law and management of the kitchen and staff. The court heard he admitted charges of failing to keep the food premises clean and maintained in good condition, failing to keep food equipment clean, failing to provide hand cleaning materials and failing to implement a management system for food safety.
On 13 July last year, a Stockton Council food hygiene officer made an inspection of the premises where the unacceptable level of hygiene and poor state of cleanliness immediately became apparent.
The premises – including walls, floors, doors, doorframes as well as underneath and behind equipment – were covered with dirt and food debris. Food preparation areas were filthy and cluttered and hygiene standards and practices were poor. Staff had no food hygiene training, inadequate supervision and no documented food safety management system was in place.
The inspection was carried out with Mr Osman, a stand-in manager who had only been in post since 11 July 2011. Mr Osman agreed to carry out a full deep clean of the premises ready for a revisit the next day. At the time of the revisit Mr Mousa met with environmental health officers himself. He had cleaned the premises and had started some redecoration.
Following the revisit Mr Mousa was invited to meet with environmental health officers as similar conditions had also been apparent during routine visits in February and September 2010 and March 2011. On each visit accumulations of dirt and food debris were unacceptable suggesting the premises was not being cleaned regularly – with deep cleaning only taking place immediately after inspections.
In mitigation Mr Mousa said he had to leave the country at the time of the inspection and he had left the business in the hands of his manager. The court also heard that Mr Mousa no longer runs the business.
Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: “Environmental Health Officers work constantly to inspect food premises because people have the right to expect high food hygiene standards wherever they eat. If owners and food business operators flout the law they can expect the Council to take action to protect the public.
“This case is a serious reminder to owners of food premises that it is ultimately their responsibility – not that of their employees – to make sure good standards of hygiene are upheld and appropriate food management systems are put into place.
“If you want to check the results of food hygiene inspections across the Borough and further afield you can visit www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk where premises are given star ratings.”
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