Store owner fined for severe
food safety breaches
THE owner of a food store has been
fined more than ?11,000 after pleading guilty to nine food safety breaches.
Mr Shafeq Nasser Al-Suraimi, who runs Green Mountain Food Store, on Lodge Lane,
Liverpool,
which operates as a shop and Halal butchers, was fined a total of ?3,600, made
to pay ?7,617.34 in costs to the council and a ?40 victim surcharge.
The Magistrates Court was told that, on 4 November 2015, Environmental Health
Officers from Liverpool City Council carried out an unannounced routine
inspection and found:-
► Mouse droppings in the meat display fridge, in the butchery department, on a
counter, on shelves, in between the floor and the skirting boards and in a
walk in fridge.
► Large holes in the fridge were found, which were thought to be
access points for pests
► Equipment used to butcher meat was dirty.
► Blood was found on the door handle of the
walk in fridge.
► Floor and wall coverings were in a poor
structural condition.
► Rodent smear marks were observed on skirting
boards.
► Evidence throughout the shop and the butchers
which indicated a lack of any effective cleaning .
The findings resulted in the immediate closure
of the premises, with the agreement and co-operation of the manager, due to the
imminent risks to public health.
9 days later, on 12 November 2017, officers returned to the premises for a follow up
inspection and found them in the same poor condition, no cleaning had been
undertaken and pest infestation remained obvious. There was also evidence that
despite the closure, meat was still being prepared in the butchers. Green
Mountain Food Store was formally closed, on 19 November 2015.
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The investigation found a report from a pest control company dating back just 1
month earlier, in October 2015, advising the owner of an urgent need for a
deep clean of the premises, pest proofing, stock control and daily checks for
pest sightings. During that company's visit to the food store they had caught 6
mice on glue pads and 15 bait boxes had been eaten. On a previous visit the
company had found a rat along with a number of mice in the cellar.
Following the 2nd closure a full refurbishment took place and the
environmental health team revisited the location again, on 12 April 2016, where
officers were satisfied there was no longer a risk to the public.
Councillor Steve Munby, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:- "This is
a shocking example of a severe breach of food safety standards which could have
resulted in customers being very ill. We will not tolerate food businesses
operating in this manner and the seriousness of this charge is reflected in the
considerable fine levelled at the owner. Our environmental health team do
incredible work across the city so that residents and visitors can, rightly so,
expect the highest possible standards when they visit any food outlet."
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