A DEAD wasp found in a customer’s chicken burger led to the discovery of a string of food hygiene safety breaches at a fast food takeaway – including an empty baked bean tin on a kitchen table which staff were using as an ashtray.
Environmental health officers from Rugby Borough Council visited EFC Fried Chicken in Kingsway in August 2018 after receiving a complaint about the dead wasp.
All three members of staff on duty had no formal food hygiene training, and the takeaway was operating without a food safety management system.
A wash basin in the staff toilet had no towel, while another basin in the kitchen had no soap or towel.
Officers found flies and a wasp flying around the kitchen, while the takeaway’s only ‘insectocuter’ was located at the front of the shop and broken.
Food storage issues discovered during the inspection included open jars of olives, jalapeno peppers and piri piri sauce which staff had failed to put in the fridge, contrary to the manufacturers’ instructions, while officers also found a crate full of dirty spoons, knives and plastic funnels in the kitchen.
Fridges at the takeaway had dirty and split door seals, the wall behind the kitchen’s grill was covered in grease and food debris, and the Perspex doors of the takeaway’s hot food storage cabinet were broken and cracked.
And when officers returned to carry out a further inspection of the takeaway in December, the empty baked bean tin containing several cigarette butts was found on a kitchen table.
At Nuneaton’s Warwickshire Justice Centre, Chaudhary Assif Zaied Aachi, of Park Street, Luton, pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and was fined a total of £1,680 for three of the offences, with no separate penalties for the six other charges.
Magistrates heard the council originally started legal proceedings against the takeaway’s former owner, as Mr Aachi had failed to register himself as the new owner.
When interviewed by officers, Aachi confirmed he had bought new equipment for the takeaway before selling the business.
Magistrates also ordered the 60-year-old to pay the council’s costs in full – £3,946 – together with a £56 victim surcharge.
Speaking after the hearing, RBC environment and public realm spokesman Howard Roberts said: “Food businesses which cut corners on hygiene put the public’s health at risk and we have a duty to make sure owners of takeaways and restaurants run businesses in accordance with the regulations.
“The council’s food safety team offers support to help businesses comply with the rules, but in cases where our advice has been ignored, we have no hesitation in taking the matter to court.”
Businesses can contact the council’s food safety team via [email protected] or on (01788) 533851.
