Food hygiene failure proves costly for Nairn restaurant owner

A Nairn restaurant and take-away owner has been prosecuted by the Highland Council after officers from Environmental Health uncovered a catalogue of unsafe food hygiene practices.   

An inspection of the Al Raj Restaurant, 25 Harbour Street, Nairn was carried out on 21st September 2017 as part of  Operation Hottah which is a multi-agency operation involving officers from Environmental Health, Police Scotland, Home Office Immigration Enforcement and HMRC. 

Inside the kitchen officers identified a significant number of food safety contraventions including dirty equipment, inadequate cleaning and disinfection of work surfaces, and unsafe food storage and handling practices, all of which created a serious risk to food safety. As a result the officers served an enforcement notice to stop the food operation. 

On the 9th July 2019 at Inverness Sheriff Court, Mr Mobarok Ali pleaded guilty to three food safety offences under The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and was fined a total of £4800. 

Andy Summers, Head of Environmental and Amenity Services said: "The basic principles of food hygiene were clearly being ignored and unsafe practices placed the consumer at risk of food poisoning. 

Unsafe storage of raw and high risk foodstuffs thereby creating a risk of cross contamination.

"Food business operators  have a clear and absolute legal duty to ensure that they handle, prepare and serve food safely and the Highland Council is committed to ensuring that food hygiene standards are met by all food businesses.

"The Council takes protection of the public and food hygiene matters extremely seriously. Our officers are happy to work with and advise businesses on these issues, however, where standards have slipped to unacceptable levels, we will not hesitate to use formal action to secure compliance with legislation."

For more information about food hygiene requirements or if you wish to report a food safety concern, you can contact the Environmental Health team at www.env.health@highland.gov.uk or telephone 01349 886606.

Unclean floor surfaces under kitchen work equipment