Nando’s stores in Perth fined for filthy conditions
Perth’s Nando’s stores have been convicted and fined for non-compliance with health standards.
That included filthy cooking areas, poor cleaning and hygiene, and “extremely high rodent activity”.
Photos taken by health inspectors show dirty cooking stations and rat or mouse droppings on floors and across stainless steel benches.
The Department of Health fined Nando's restaurants in Belmont and Northbridge have been fined for hygiene failures.
A report from a City of Perth officer who inspected Nando’s in Lake Street, Northbridge, found that the store “critically non-compliant” with health standards.
“Rat activity complaint. Extremely high rodent activity present. Cleaning and adequate pest control required,” the report said.
According to the Department of Health website, the Nando’s venues were among seven WA businesses fined for pest or hygiene failures last year.
Nando's Australia was fined $20,000 and an additional $1745.50 in costs for 'failing to maintain cleanliness standards', using unclean equipment and not eradicating pests.
Photos obtained by Freedom of Information and published by the media show grease and grime covering the area around ovens, grills, fryers and sinks.
The photos also show filthy floors, solidified grease and fat down the sides of cooking equipment, mould growing on floor tiles, exhaust vents covered in grease, and rodent droppings on floors and stainless steel benches.
A Nando’s spokeswoman told the Sunday Times that the food chain was “obviously very disappointed with these convictions” and said the food safety issues were “immediately rectified”.
“In the last 16 months we have implemented and maintained a number of measures to ensure ongoing compliance. This has included the retraining of management and staff so they fully understand our food safety practices and follow the approved Nando’s cleaning and maintenance guidelines and requirements,” she said. “We have also increased this focus across our other restaurants to remove likelihood of re-occurrence.”
by Leon Gettler, January 23rd 2017