The owner of a kebab shop in the UK was fined after inspectors found cockroaches and rats. The fine is set at $10,000 for each infestation.
Customers’ kebabs could have had an unexpected crunch. (Photo courtesy of SWNS)
The proprietor of a kebab business in north London that was infested with cockroaches and rats was fined for harming the public’s health.
Customers and authorities discovered a number of significant sanitation violations at the ‘genuinely awful’ Ponders End Kebab in Enfield, and Kazim Recber guilty to 15 charges.
Within minutes of arriving, food safety inspectors discovered the premises infested with live cockroaches, according to Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
Officers stated there was “plenty of evidence” that rats and cockroaches had been detected in food packaging, preparation and storage facilities, as well as cockroach dung.
A consumer first raised the alarm in August 2020, when they reported a cockroach on the premises to the local municipality.
‘We believe you should only see this many cockroaches on I’m A Celebrity and not at a kebab restaurant,’ Enfield Council subsequently tweeted.
The shop was shuttered for a few weeks while council officials checked to see whether the problems had been resolved.
The proprietor of a kebab business was punished for risking the public’s health (Picture: SWNS)
Cockroach feces was discovered in food processing areas. (Photo courtesy of SWNS)
The Food Safety Team, however, visited the facilities on March 1, 2021 to conduct a pre-arranged food hygiene inspection and discovered rat activity in the food storage areas.
Recber, the firm’s director, and EBM Catering Ltd, the limited company, were both accused with failing to appropriately manage vermin.
The firm and director were penalised £436 each, plus half of Enfield Council’s expenses of £3,283.12 and a victim surcharge of £43 each, for a total of £4,241.12 in fines and costs.
Councillor George Savva, Cabinet Member for Licensing and Regulatory Services at Enfield Council, said: ‘This was a very terrible pest infestation that this firm completely failed to address.’
‘Within minutes of arriving on site, our Food Safety Officers discovered cockroaches and plenty of evidence that they had managed to get into food packaging, food preparation rooms, and storage locations.’
After seeing a cockroach on the premises, a client initially raised the alarm (Picture: SWNS)
‘The large number of cockroaches on site constituted an immediate threat to public health, and their presence was exacerbated by poor cleaning techniques, which included dirt, food waste, and cockroach feces in food storage and preparation facilities.’
‘Furthermore, we discovered a rat infestation on site after the firm had voluntarily closed to get its house in order, which highlighted the business’s incompetence to manage vermin, and we determined it was in the public’s interest to prosecute.’
‘Food enterprises must recognize that they are responsible for taking the required precautions to safeguard the public.’
‘The breaches in food hygiene and pest control were completely unacceptable, and the court’s sentencing reflected that.’
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