Mouse faeces, broken glass, dead roaches in Valley View chicken shop run by Xie Tan, court told

Raw chicken dripping, mouse faeces and roaches awaited this chicken shop owner’s customers, a court has heard – and prosecutors fear he will not change.

Only a significant fine can deter a northern suburbs takeaway owner, whose store was rife with raw, dripping chicken, mouse faeces and cockroaches, from his filthy ways, a court has heard.

On Friday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court was asked to punish Xie Tan, of Valley View Chicken and Seafood, as a deterrent to store owners across SA.

Lawyers for Port Adelaide Enfield Council argued a significant fine was the only way to get through to Tan, who failed to clean up his act despite inspections and warnings.

But Magistrate Ben Sale said he wondered whether a financial penalty would not make the situation worse.

“It strikes me he’s not a wealthy man … he’s not driving a Ferrari … he’s not running a high-end, lucrative business,” he said.

“To impose a fine may (stop him) renewing some of the equipment that put the business in this state … would that not be counter-productive?

Tan Xie pleaded guilty to breaching multiple food safety laws at Valley View Chicken and Seafood. Picture: RoyVPhotography

“Were I to place him on a bond, that would operate as a suspended fine so that, should he do what he has done in the past, he would find himself having to pay a large monetary amount.”

Tan, 34, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of failing to comply with a requirement of the food standards code.

Previously, the court heard repeated inspections of his business found dripping raw chicken liquid, dirty surfaces and equipment and a “below adequate standard of cleanliness”.

They also found glass fragments and mice faeces under the salad display, dead cockroaches in the storage area and live ants in the food handling area.

Tan’s shop is in the same Valley View complex as Valentino Pizza Cafe which, in 2022, was fined $10,500 for breaches including selling pizza with broken glass in its toppings.

On Friday, Martin Neilson, for the council, cautioned against the case being finalised with a bond.

“Many of the things that are the subject of the charges are matters of storage and cleanliness,” he said.

“None of things require Mr Tan having money to remedy.”

Mr Sale said he wanted to hear further submissions about Tan’s financial situation, and adjourned the case until July.