Court Awards £40,000 Fine For Food Hygiene Breaches

A trader in Chiswick, West London, was recently fined £40,000 plus £2,620 costs after pleading guilty to 3 breaches of Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.

Among other matters, Environmental Health Officers inspecting the premises found it to be infested with mice, and cockroaches. Cleaning of essential items such as the ventilation canopy had not done for such a long time that grease was dripping from it onto cooking equipment and the floor below, and areas under the ovens and behind refrigerators and freezers revealed an accumulation of dirt, rotting food, and live pests.

After hearing the case the Magistrates referred the matter for sentencing to Isleworth Crown Court, stating that the fine should be greater than the £15,000 maximum fine they could impose.

The case represents one of the largest recent fines to be imposed on a food business for food safety and hygiene failings, so be warned!
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