Cafe Noma owner Vita Dolce_Y Pty Ltd fined $18,000 for food safety breaches

The owner of a north Brisbane cafe has appeared in court after rodent-chewed pasta was seen during an inspection that picked up six contraventions of the conditions of the food licence.

Rodent chewed pasta has seen a cafe in Brisbane’s north fined thousands of dollars.

Corporate defendant Vita Dolce_Y Pty Ltd, the owner of Cafe Noma in Wavell Heights, today pleaded guilty to six counts each of contravening the condition of a food licence and failing to comply with food standards code requirements.

The Brisbane Magistrates Court heard a food inspector visited Cafe Noma in July 2019 and found six breaches of the code relating to food storage and display, cleanliness, maintenance and pests.

Lasagne sheets chewed by rodents at Cafe Noma.

The packet of pasta had been chewed through by rodents.

Brisbane City Council solicitor Jac Thong said rodent faces were discovered on the kitchen floor and shelving in the pantry areas.

“Dry lasagne sheets had been chewed by rodents,” he said.

“Here we’ve got a case where all the rodent faeces are in the kitchen and food storage areas.”

Mr Thong said the business’s licence was immediately suspended however this was lifted two days later when a further inspection found all issues rectified.

Rodent poo next to the dry lasagne sheets.

This was the first prosecution against the cafe which previously held a three star rating for good compliance with the Food Act, he said.

The company’s barrister David Purcell said the cafe took immediate and effective remedial action which had been ongoing.

“My client’s mistake is not a malicious non-compliance, it is one which is an unfortunate and regrettable oversight,” he said.

The Brisbane City Council found rodent faeces in the storage area and kitchen.

Cafe Noma was fined $18,000 for breaches of the Food Act.

Financial documents were tendered showing the company operating at a significant loss and Mr Purcell said it would have closed without the JobKeeper subsidy during the COVID pandemic.

Magistrate Belinda Merrin said consumers were entitled to have purchased food “stored, prepared and served in a hygienic and appropriate manner”.

“Failure to do so of course risks the health of members of the public,” she said.

Aiyan Yang, director of Vita Dolce_Y Pty Ltd, leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court after the company was fined for food safety breaches. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

She noted the company’s co-operation with council inspectors and “very prompt remedying” of the problems.

Vita Dolce_Y was fined $18,000 and no convictions were recorded.