The latest scoop on act food safety woes
A number of food safety scares have arisen recently throughout the Australian Capital Territory, leading to a spate of stomach-turning ACT news reports.
The standards of food safety within Australia require businesses and corporations to focus on producing food that is safe to consume, regardless of whether that food is sold fresh from market or on a plate at a local restaurant. Yet despite these requirements, recent evidence suggests that certain organisations continue to ignore the demand for food safety.
Bakery fined for safety breaches
One of the most popular private bakeries in Canberra was issued a fine of $10,000 at the end of January this year, following the discovery that their food practices lead to a huge public health risk. Bread Nerds, or “That Bagel Place” held their hands up and admitted responsibility in the ACT court when they were given seven charges of failure to comply with food standards.
The sentence was carried out two years after the original breaches occurred, including uncleanliness and residue build up on ovens, floors, surfaces, benches and more. Originally, the report came from an inspection that was conducted in August 2012. However, the case was delayed as ACT was forced to rule on their ability to charge offenders with multiple breaches in the Food Act.
Restaurant lets cockroaches run free on moral grounds
Most of us have seen a number of movements against animal cruelty over the years, but the owner of a popular Dickson restaurant recently took the concept too far by refusing to wipe out a cockroach infestation, due to moral opposition.
After the Kingsland Restaurant, known for serving vegetarian and vegan foods, was fined $16,000 for a number of sickening health violations, the owner refused to clean up his creepy-crawly kitchen, because he felt uncomfortable “killing little insects”.
The owner of the restaurant, Khanh Hoang, admitted that he knew about the infestation, and pleaded guilty to eight out of twelve charges for breaching the Food Act. According to court documents: “The presence of insects is a key indicator that surfaces are unclean and food is left unattended.” Aside from the insects, the kitchen was a disgrace, with equipment and surfaces covered in waste, food, and debris.
Students suffer mass food safety breach
And in yet another ACT incident, an Australian National University celebration that took place last year left a number of students calling in sick to class. Now, a number of the fifty-three victims who fell ill with gastroenteritis have engaged lawyers, and intend to sue Scolarest, the company responsible for the food, and the outbreak.
The subsequent ACT investigation discovered the presence of campylobacter jejuni in the liver pate – bacteria that often survive poor cooking methods.