Droppings, a decaying rodent carcass, and meat more than a year past its use by date.
These are just some of the shocking findings made at a Kirklees-based catering suppliers which has since been allowed to re-open.
In March, Kirklees Council’s Environmental Health Service paid a visit to a doner kebab manufacturer Halal Catering Supplies Ltd to carry out a hygiene inspection. On arrival at the premises in Units 5,6 & 7a Beckside Trading Estate, Batley, officers discovered an unregistered food business operating from Unit 8 and being run as part of the wholesale operation of Halal Catering Supplies.
On entering Unit 8, which was being used as a warehouse operation for foods such as spices, flour, tinned goods and drinks, the officers noted rodent activity and very poor levels of cleanliness along with the following:
- Wet rat droppings on the mezzanine floor
- Rat droppings in the corner of the unit behind cans of pop
- Empty bait trays throughout the unit
- Split bait next to sauce bottles
- Bird droppings on the mezzanine floor
- A bird dropping contaminating paper food storage bags
- A decaying rodent carcass and flies stuck to a sticky board underneath a pallet of disposable drinks and other items
- Boxes of food containers contaminated with debris.
In addition to the health risk from the rat infestation other food hygiene offences were noted in Units 5, 6 & 7a where doner kebabs were being manufactured. These included:
- Dirty food premises and equipment
- Lack of temperature monitoring records
- Staff members not having adequate knowledge of food hygiene procedures
- A pallet of chicken that was more than a year past its use by date with no information available to show where it had come from
- Most products in the freezer were contaminated with dripping condensation from units in the freezer.
On 24 October, at Kirklees Magistrates Court, Halal Catering Supplies BATLEY Ltd, of Unit 8 Beckside Trading Estate, Batley, pleaded guilty to eight offences. Meanwhile, Halal Catering Supplies Ltd of Units 5,6 & 7a Beckside Trading Estate, Batley, pleaded guilty to 19 offences after failing to adhere to food hygiene legislation.
Halal Catering Supplies BATLEY Ltd was fined £15,000, a surcharge of £2,000 and cost contribution of £2,270. Halal Catering Supplies Ltd was fined £4,000, a surcharge £1,600 and cost contribution of £2,270.
Since the failures were discovered, the council says that the business has made significant changes to its operation. Among them are a change of company director, and a suitably qualified individual has been employed full time at the company to oversee food production.
There is also a new documented food safety management system in place with the assistance of food safety officers, a strict food sampling programme implemented by the company and the defective freezer has been re-built.
The company has successfully re-gained full approval to cold store products of animal origin and have recently been granted conditional approval to manufacture doner kebabs again.
Councillor Munir Ahmed, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Our Environmental Officers have worked with the business to assist it to meet the relevant food hygiene legislation. Only when officers were completely satisfied that this business had reached the required safe standard of operation was it allowed to begin trading again.
“I would encourage all food and catering businesses in the borough to check they are meeting the food hygiene standards and that staff are properly trained to the appropriate level. Please do take advantage of the training our officers provide.”
Kirklees Council’s Food Safety Team offers a low-cost two-hour course – ‘Steps to Success’ – to help the borough’s catering businesses understand food hygiene legislation. The course is available in Dewsbury and Huddersfield and the details are as follows:
- 10am – 12 noon or 1pm – 3pm, 13 January or 3 March, 2025 – Room 1C, Civic Centre 1, High Street, Huddersfield
- 10am – 12 noon or 1pm – 3pm, 14 January or 4 March, 2025 – Dewsbury Fire Station, 21 Carlton Road, Dewsbury, WF13 2AT
For more information contact Kirklees Council’s Food Safety Team by emailing food.safety@kirklees.gov.uk or call 01484 221000.
