Valley View Chicken and Seafood owner Xie Tan pleaded guilty to failing to comply with requirements of the food standards code

A business owner who kept his chicken shop in a stomach-churning state after mice faeces and cockroaches were found has been allowed to stay open.

A business owner has come clean on keeping his chicken shop in disgusting conditions after an inspection found mice faeces, cockroaches and ants.

And despite the disgusting state of the premises, Valley View Chicken and Seafood has been allowed to continue operating.

Owner, Xie Tan, 34, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday to 13 offences of failing to comply with a requirement of the food standards code.

The charges followed an inspection of the shop by environmental health officers from Port Adelaide Enfield Council on August 28, 2024.

Court documents released to the Advertiser alleged Tan failed to protect food from the likelihood of contamination.

It is alleged that there were containers of raw chicken stored directly next to an uncovered bowl of prepared coleslaw and salad and boxes of custard powder stored in the pantry with vinegar flies.

“Raw chicken liquids were dripping from the bottom of the chicken rack in the cool room giving rise to a risk of cross contamination of other food items in the cool room,” the documents alleged.

Owner of Valley View chicken and seafood Xie Tan pleaded guilty to 13 countsof failing to comply with a requirement of the food standards code. Picture: RoyVPhotography

“When cleaning surfaces and equipment, staff did not rinse off the sanitiser from the surfaces or equipment as required by manufacturer instructions.”

It was also alleged the fridge, fryers, drip trays, stove tops, sinks and the back food

preparation area were dirty and had not been maintained to an adequate standard of cleanliness.

Another inspection of the business was conducted on January 20, 2025 and officers found the conditions were again below an adequate standard of cleanliness, including “glass fragments and mice faeces under the salad fridge in the front food handling area”.

The documents alleged that during that inspection they found pest activity, including mice faeces under a salad display fridge in the front food handling area, dead cockroaches in the dry storage area near the rotisserie oven and live ants on food preparation surfaces in the back food handling area.

Valley View Chicken and Seafood. Picture: RoyVPhotography

There were also gaps under the back door leading to the back storage area and bin area which may have allowed for pests to enter into the kitchen.

The inspection also found there were surfaces with accumulated food waste, shelving with glass fragments and old food residue, doors in the back food handling area covered with dirt and the wheels of the chicken oven were covered with grease and food matter.

The council spokesperson told the Advertiser they take compliance with food safety standards seriously.

“All food businesses undergo regular inspection and where environmental health officers find serious matters of concern or ongoing noncompliance, we will try to work with the food business to address this,” they said.

“In some instances where this is unsuccessful we are then required to undertake enforcement action.

“The business has not been closed and we continue to work with them to improve their food safety standards.”

On Wednesday, Tan’s counsel said his client had taken photos of the current state of his premises and asked for an adjournment for sentencing submissions.

Magistrate Ben Sale adjourned the case until next month.

Originally published as Valley View Chicken and Seafood owner Xie Tan pleaded guilty to failing to comply with requirements of the food standards code