Filth and cockroaches: sushi bar owner fined $40,000
A sushi bar owner in the upmarket Melbourne suburb of Brighton has been fined $40,000 for food safety breaches.
Sarah Nguyen, 36, pleaded guilty to dozens of charges involving cockroach infestations, dirty utensils and Food Act breaches.
She was fined $15,000 and a $25,000 penalty was slapped on her sushi bar Isuki.
The Moorabin Magistrates Court was told that cockroaches were all over Isuki, running around on floors, walls and across surfaces.
Prosecutor Louisa Dicker, on behalf of Bayside Council, told the court that repeated inspections in February and March 2015 had found the place was just infested with cockroaches.
She said inspectors had found cockroaches in the microwave, freezer and in cupboards
“Cockroaches (were) observed on the front serving area crawling on equipment and the benchtop around an accumulation of food waste,” Ms Dicker said.
In addition to that, inspectors found unclean, mouldy and grimy surfaces, unrefrigerated chicken, sushi stored above regulated temperatures and the storage of pest control products near soy sauce
Nguyen’s defence lawyer Matthew Cookson said his client had been going through personal issues.
He conceded she had admitted she hadn’t put the care or time into the business that it needed but had spent $200,000 renovating the premises in April and May last year in an effort to manage the problem.
“It is an old building with longstanding issues with cockroaches and her inability to manage staff meant the business spiralled out of control, “Mr Cookson said.
But magistrate Doug Bolster said the breaches were a “dismal failure”.
“The offences reflect very serious breaches; you had responsibilities to prepare in a safe and clean environment, “ Mr Bolster said
“The conditions portrayed had the potential to affect the person, who was consuming’s, health.”
Costs were deferred to another court.
Isuki remains open but is now compliant with the Food Act.
by Leon Gettler, April 21st 2016
