Bread Choice Pty Ltd fined $5000, ordered to clean up act after food safety breaches
A DANDENONG South bread maker has been ordered to pay $5000 to charity and clean up its act after inspectors found food left in dirty containers, mouldy walls and holes in its factory ceiling.
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A FOOD business has been ordered to pay $5000 to charity and clean up its act after Dandenong Council officers found food being left in dirty containers and mouldy walls and holes in its factory ceiling.
Bread Choice Pty Ltd appeared at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on November 2, facing 17 charges relating to food handling and hygiene.
The court heard the business had a turnover of “a couple of hundred thousand a year”, producing ready-made products for retailers such as bread, cakes, pork rolls, sandwiches and products that contain raw egg mayonnaise.
On May 4 officers went to the factory in Dandenong South and found a number of doors, including one that led to the manufacturing area, were left unlocked, allowing anyone inside who could then contaminate the food.
Some ceilings had holes in them, allowing pests to get inside.
Ready-to-eat food containing raw eggs was being stored at room temperatures and there was no use-by date on it.
Some pre-cracked eggs were being stored in a container that read ‘mayo’.
There was a build-up of ice around the freezer meaning the door could not be opened.
Walls had mould on them and handwash basins were found to be blocked so nobody could use them.
Unwrapped bread was being kept in dirty containers and there were dirty hessian pads under some of the equipment.
Floors were in an unacceptable condition meaning they were not able to be thoroughly cleaned.
There were uncovered chemicals and mops being stored near food. Mayonnaise was kept at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
Inspectors also went to the facility on May 9, May 11 and May 15, finding no improvements.
The defence lawyer for the company and director said the director had fixed 80 per cent of the problems and had hired a full-time manager who would be on site to help fix the rest of the issues.
Magistrate Pauline Spencer placed the company on a 12-month good behaviour bond and said it was important that food production companies did the right thing to ensure people didn’t become sick from their products.
“It’s clear to me there was a breakdown of management that led to this happening,” she said.
The company was not convicted and has until February to pay the $5000 to the court fund.