Contaminated food to be destroyed (From The Bolton News)

Contaminated food to be destroyed

11:24am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News

CONTAMINATED food stored in a ratinfested industrial unit must be destroyed, a court heard.

Barkat Foodstore Bolton Ltd, a grocery store in Derby Street, Daubhill, was served a hygiene emergency prohibition after rat droppings were discovered at a separate storage unit.

The “active rat infestation” was declared by Bolton Council during an inspection of the storage unit in the Wadsworth Industrial Estate in High Street, Bolton, on January 23.

Fresh rat droppings were found on items of food, as well as chewed food bags during the inspection — and inspectors deem there was “a significant risk of contamination and imminent risk of injury to health.”

The food seized included bags of dried chillies and dried pasta.

Environment officers were granted a food condemnation order for the seized products at Bolton Magistrates Court yesterday. After a second inspection of the premises on February 7, inspectors said sufficient steps had been taken to remove the health risk. Andrew Morris, representing Bolton Council, said: “The landlord had blocked the access for the rats and the appropriate pest control action had been taken.”