Scarborough shop prosecuted for food hygiene offences
The
proprietor of a seafront fudge and chocolate shop has been fined
£1,050 for serious breaches in food hygiene regulations.
Lucy Gillian Kappes, owner of From Love to
Fudge at 31 Foreshore Road, Scarborough, was also ordered to pay
prosecution costs of £450 and a £105 victim surcharge after she
pleaded guilty to three food hygiene offences* at Scarborough
Magistrates Court on Friday 1 February, relating to the cleanliness
of the premises, the fittings and equipment; and the potential for
food contamination.
Scarborough Borough Council brought the
prosecution after a follow-up visit to From Love to Fudge – which
prepares and sells chocolate, fudge and other confectionery – by a
council environmental health officer, Sarah Brown, to check
compliance for issues outstanding from a previous food hygiene
inspection including structural and cleaning requirements.
During the inspection on 5 November 2012
she found conditions relating to the standard of cleanliness in the
food preparation room were extremely poor and completely
unacceptable for a commercial food business, with magistrates told
in detail of the “appalling state” witnessed during her visit.
The court heard how the floor surface in
the food preparation room was in a very dirty condition with
accumulations of dirt, debris, food waste and old packaging, with
the walls also dirty with dried-on food debris, dirt and grease.
The floor and wall coverings in the food preparation room were also
damaged in some areas leaving surfaces which were incapable of
being effectively cleaned.
Various equipment included the cooker,
external surfaces of the fridge, bain-marie, food preparation
surfaces, shelving used to store food, scales, bowls, pans, food
storage boxes and food packaging used in the preparation and
cooking and storage of food products were heavily contaminated with
new and old food particles, including chocolate, the ingredients
used to make fudge, food colourings, grease and dirt.
The electric fly killer was full of flies
and dirty. A batch of unwrapped fudge was balanced on top of some
packaging in the food preparation room and dirty step ladders were
in direct contact with the food.
Scarborough Borough Council Health and
Community Safety Manager, Steve Pogson, said: “This was a clear
breach of the food hygiene legislation which is in place to protect
the public. Food businesses are responsible for ensuring their
premises are kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition
to ensure they produce food in a safe and hygienic manner and in a
clean environment.
“Poor levels of cleanliness are not acceptable and we will
take action against those who do not comply with this basic hygiene
requirement.”