Out-of-date bolognese, raw beef stored next to bread rolls, and a “pungent odour” were among the serious hygiene failings found at a Darlington takeaway.
Cuisine Marmaris on Parkgate, was slapped with a zero-star rating following a damning food hygiene inspection on April 3.
Darlington Borough Council found customers were placed at risk due to a string of food hygiene breaches, which landed the owner in court.
And last week, Ranga Gunumuthu, of Newton Way in Stockton, was ordered to pay £850 after admitting failing to keep his premises clean as required by food hygiene law.
Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard how Gunumuthu failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and conditions at the premises continued to deteriorate.
The issues first came to light on a routine inspection on March 6, and three more visits were carried out, culminating in a zero-star rating on April 3.
The council has now released the full inspection report for the April 3 visit, laying bare some of the serious food hygiene failings found.
Officers uncovered out of date bolognese and milk, filthy cleaning sponges stored in containers with dirty, stagnant water, and a number of heavily damaged scourers.
Raw food - namely beef burgers - were being stored above/next to bread rolls in the fridge, presenting a risk of contamination.
There was also an open grease trap to the sink units at the back of the building, where inspectors were met with a "pungent odour”, an issue raised at a previous inspection.
The standard of cleanliness throughout was branded very poor, with several structural items being labelled as unclean, all of which were raised on the previous March 6 inspection.
These included walls, ceilings and floors throughout, sinks and taps, electric wall sockets, plugs, and cables, and shelves.
The report said: “It was evident that you are not taking on board the seriousness of the basic requirements that food premises and equipment must be kept clean at all times.”
A number of items were also found to be unclean, including cling film dispensers, table frames and worktops, ovens, microwaves, the dough mixer machine, fryers, the gas hob and oven, several cutting boards, and plastic storage containers and jugs.
All of these issues were similarly raised in March.
Cardboard was being used on surfaces throughout the venue and there were no hygienic hand drying facilities at the sink in the food prep area.
The sink was also obstructed by dirty cloths.
Dirty wiping cloths were being used for cleaning surfaces and equipment and articles, fittings and equipment with which food comes into contact with were not being routinely disinfected.
There was also no evidence to show any of the staff had received food hygiene training and the level of food hygiene awareness demonstrated by business managers was inadequate.
Council promises to take ‘hard hitting action’
Cuisine Marmaris was initially downgraded to a three star rating following the inspection on March 6, which prompted the further three visits.
During one of these, 15 breaches of food hygiene legislation were uncovered and environmental swabbing also revealed contamination levels on a salad preparation surface nearly 30 times higher than acceptable standards.
Following sentencing, Councillor Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for economy, said, "The health and safety of local people is one of our main priorities.
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"Darlington boasts a huge variety of restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, food vans and stalls - 95 per cent of which demonstrate good or very good hygiene standards.
"Prosecutions like these are rare and are only made where attempts to engage businesses and resolve issues have failed.
"This week's judgment serves as a reminder that we will take hard-hitting action against business owners who place their customers at risk by failing to maintain appropriate standards of cleanliness within their facilities."
Cuisine Marmaris has been contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
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