KFC Chatswood Chase issued food safety, hygiene fine for lack of water for cleaning, handwashing

A KFC outlet has been fined more than $1700 after a food safety inspection revealed there was no hot water available for staff to wash their hands or clean food areas.

The restaurant has been fined more than $1700.

A KFC outlet which had no hot water available for staff to wash their hands or clean food areas has been fined more than $1700 after a food safety inspection.

Willoughby Council issued two infringements totalling $1760 to the KFC outlet at Chatswood Chase shopping centre following an inspection of the fast food restaurant.

The food safety breaches, which were recently published on the NSW Food Authority website, included failing to maintain a washing facility with a supply of warm running water, and failing to ensure food contact surfaces of equipment is in a clean and sanitary condition

The restaurant was fined $880 for each offence.

A photo taken by the council during the unannounced inspection on May 30 revealed a test of the restaurant’s water showed it was only running as hot as 19.2 degrees celsius.

A photo taken by the council during the inspection.

The eatery is located in Chatswood Chase.

Under food safety regulations, warm water must be provided for hand washing, typically at a temperature between 20 to 40 degrees, unless the business has a specific exemption.

A council spokeswoman said the restaurant was open for business at the time of the inspection and was cooking, preparing and selling potentially hazardous foods. Multiple staff were also seen handling food, a council spokeswoman said.

A photo of the restaurant.

According to the council, the store manager told inspectors that hot water had not been available for washing of hands or to clean and sanitise food contact surfaces and equipment since May 12 – some 18 days before the inspection.

“Having no hot water available risks the safety of food and hygiene resulting in the inability to efficiently clean and sanitise food contact surfaces and equipment,” the council spokeswoman said.

“Businesses must also provide warm water for washing equipment. Warm water may be a mixture of hot and cold water or can be water heated to the required warm temperature.”

Since the fines, the council has carried out a follow-up inspection and found a new hot water tank has been installed at the premises.

The council issued the business two infringements.

In a statement, a KFC spokesman said the restaurant was “safely operating” and was “in the process of rectifying the problem” when the penalty notice was issued.

“The issues were resolved the following morning,” the spokesman said. “The safety of food served at all KFC restaurants and the wellbeing of our customers is KFC Australia’s number one priority.”

Willoughby Council said inspectors visited the site as part of routine inspections and its food surveillance program.

“Council has a large number of registered food businesses (more than 630) within its local government area,” a council spokeswoman said.

“Council is committed to protecting the health of the public and to upholding the Food Standards Code (and) takes its commitment to public health seriously.

“The elderly, the infirm and small children are members of our community who may be particularly vulnerable to food borne illness arising from a failure to comply with the minimum standards prescribed by the Food Standards Code.”