Cockroaches with your noodles? Restaurant fined 10 years after first food safety breach
A Brisbane noodle shop owner has been fined for a second time for breaching health laws after inspectors found a stomach-churning sight.
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Council health officers found cockroaches at a Brisbane noodle shop, a decade after another inspection revealed rat faeces on the premises.
Good Luck Noodle owner Fernandes Chang Castillo faced Holland Park Magistrates Court today charged with multiple breaches of his licence and food safety laws.
The court heard Castillo, who pleaded guilty to all charges, was fined in December 2010 after a council investigation revealed poor food storage, cleanliness and maintenance.
Council solicitor, Michael Spencer, said there were 14 breaches and 40 charges in that case.
“Inspectors found rodent faeces, although the breaches were later rectified,’’ he said.
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Mr Spencer said on May 23 last year inspectors again looked at the restaurant, in Coopers Plains, and found numerous breaches including food processing and storage, maintenance and eradication of animals and pests.
“Live cockroaches were observed at various points (in the restaurant),’’ Mr Spencer said.
He said Council was “not pushing for a conviction’’ but instead asked for fines and payment of fees and court costs.
Magistrate Sue Ganasan said in her sentencing that general deterrence was important in such a case to help protect safety.
“Suppliers of food must not put the public at risk,’’ Ms Ganasan said.
“There’s a very good reason for this (food safety) Act.
“It’s fortuitous there were no complaints (of illness) from the public.’’
Ms Ganasan took into account Castillo was an owner-operator and not part of a large company, and also his early guilty pleas and the fact he had taken steps to fix the problems.
She fined him $2500 and also fined the company of which he is a director, Zheng Feng Pty Ltd, $22,000.
She ordered costs and fees be paid as well, but did not record a conviction.