Manchester caterers fined heavily for mouse infestation
You would think that a company claiming to provide quality bespoke catering would understand the importance of pest control, but a Greater Manchester specialist caterer has been heavily fined because of a rodent infestation discovered on its premises by food safety inspectors.
City council officers were first alerted to the potential problem when a member of the public made a complaint, and when they visited they found that the concerns were confirmed. Mouse droppings were found all over the kitchen: under cooking utensils, on the draining board, on food packaging and even inside boxes containing spices…
The company agreed to voluntary closure while the problems were effectively dealt with, but this hasn’t prevented their prosecution. The company was fined one thousand pounds for each breach of food hygiene regulations, amounting to a total fine of more than seven thousand pounds.
In such difficult times, no company needs the added financial pressure of prosecution or fines or the potential desertion of clients when such news gets out. It is vital that businesses working with food ensure that all staff receive food safety training and are aware of the risks of pest infestations.