A Coventry food business operator has been fined a total of £4049.41 after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences.
Mr Azad Miah, the Food Business Operator of Balti Hut, 193 Melbourne Road, Coventry pleaded guilty to two hygiene offences at Coventry Magistrates Court on 22 April 2024.
Mr Miah was fined £1000 and ordered to pay full costs of £2649.41 as well as a victim surcharge of £400. The Court awarded £50.00 to the complainant as compensation.
A complaint was received from a member of the public that whilst eating a takeaway purchased from the business, they had found thin pieces of metal in part of their meal. An unannounced inspection was carried out at the business, where used metal scourers, in very poor condition, were found still in use which matched the type of metal found in the food.
A number of other potential causes of physical contamination were also seen. The business was scored a 1 (major improvement necessary) on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and given a written schedule of works for improvement.
Food containing metal wires is deemed unsafe for human consumption. Metal wires can be injurious to health if consumed and the presence of foreign objects means the food is unfit for human consumption. It is not reasonable to expect customers to consume food in that state.
The business had received a written warning following a similar complaint in 2021 and were provided free coaching in food hygiene and safety from the team’s Business Compliance Officer following this.
When questioned about the complaint and conditions found, Mr Miah said that he accepted the danger presented by foreign bodies in food and that he has taken the matter seriously to prevent this happening again, including retraining staff.
Mr Miah pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Placing food on the market which was unsafe.
- Failing to protect food from contamination.
Improvements have continued to be made by the business and Balti Hut is now rated 5 (very good) on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
All Food Business Operators should ensure they have suitably trained staff in place who can identify if equipment is deteriorating and either take the necessary action, or raise the matter with the Food Business Operator to ensure that food is not compromised or contaminated in anyway.
Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead for Regulation and Communities in the city, said: “We take a staged approach to enforcement where appropriate. Officers will always try to work with businesses offering advice and guidance where possible.
“On this occasion, the business had not maintained the standards required following a previous incident, so formal action was taken. Businesses must understand the importance of following food hygiene regulations and their importance in ensuring food is safe for consumers to eat.”
“I am pleased that the business has made improvements in its most recent inspection received a food hygiene rating of 5 (very good).”
“We would encourage all residents to report unsatisfactory food hygiene conditions found in food businesses in Coventry to ehcommercial@coventry.gov.uk or call 08085834333”.