A Coventry food business operator has been fined a total of £3,750.30 after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences.
Mr Mehmet Turudioglu, the Food Business Operator of Istanbul, 17 Butts, pleaded guilty to five hygiene offences at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 15 July 2024.
Mr Turudioglu was fined £768 and ordered to pay full costs of £2675.30 as well as a victim surcharge of £307.
Food and Safety Officers visited the business to undertake a routine unannounced food hygiene inspection in February 2023, during this visit, both mouse and rat activity was found inside and outside the premises. The business agreed to voluntarily close as rodent activity in food preparation areas is deemed an imminent risk to health.
After voluntarily closing, the business carried out pest control treatment, cleaning and proofing. Once no further evidence of pests were found, and no imminent risk to health remained, the business was then able to reopen.
Further work was undertaken with the business to ensure improvements were maintained and in April 2023 the business regained its rating of 5 (very good).
When questioned about the poor conditions found, Mr Turudioglu said that he accepted he was ultimately responsible for management of pest control and food hygiene in the business. He explained the steps that had been taken since the visit, including re-training all staff, having management complete more regular checks, ensuring better cleaning standards and maintaining regular visits from a pest control company and acting upon their advice.
He did not intend to commit the offences.
Mr Turudioglu pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Failure to put in place adequate procedures to control pests
- Failure to keep the premises clean
- Failure to ensure the construction of the premises permitted good hygiene practices, including protection against contamination
- Failure to protect food from contamination
- Failure to put in place, implement and maintain procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles
The business was subject to an unannounced inspection again in February 2024 where standards were found to be good and the business maintained its food hygiene rating of 5 (very good).
Mr Turudioglu advised at court that he has since closed the business.
Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead for Regulation and Communities in the city, said: “We take a staged approach to enforcement and wherever possible, Officers will always try to work with businesses offering advice and guidance where possible but will take the necessary actions if they feel there is a risk to health.
“On this occasion, closing the premises was necessary to ensure consumers were not put at risk, and the business worked with the team to make the necessary changes to reopen the premises as soon as possible.”
“We would encourage all residents to report unsatisfactory food hygiene conditions found in food businesses in Coventry to ehcommercial@coventry.gov.uk or call 08085 834333”.