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The director of a Sydney dumpling business and the company itself Australia Yummy Pty Ltd have been fined $34,150 and $44,150 respectively and ordered to pay professional costs of $12,000 and $18,000 after its director pleaded guilty to 43 offences under the Food Act 2003 in the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday 28 June 2019.
The charges against the Belmore based company related to various hygiene and pest control offences, the breach of a Prohibition Order and providing false and misleading information to authorised officers.
A labelling complaint from a consumer led to an inspection of the premises, during which officers observed poor conditions with unclean fittings and equipment as well as live rodents, large amounts of rat excrement and a decomposed rat carcass on top of a machine in the processing area.
As a result of these observations Food Authority officers issued a Prohibition Order that ordered that the company immediately cease trading until it was deemed compliant by the Authority.
In a follow up inspection to the premises officers observed the business to still be trading, and had also failed to take steps to rectify the breaches of the Act that were previously identified.
After cleaning up its act, the company was subsequently issued a clearance certificate to trade but on a further follow up inspection was again found to be in breach of various hygiene and pest control requirements under the Food Act. A second Prohibition Order was issued to the business preventing it from trade.
NSW Food Authority CEO Dr Lisa Szabo has welcomed the outcome.
“The vast majority of food businesses in NSW do the right thing, but for the few that fail to do so, we will take action to ensure the safety of food in NSW,” Dr Szabo said.
“Consumers have the right to have confidence and certainty that the food they buy and consume is manufactured and prepared in a clean and sanitary environment.”