Fresh Fish and Sea Food in Peckham received a 0 out of 5 after inspectors discovered flying insects where food was being stored and blood spillages had not been cleaned up
The manager of a fishmongers in South London has reassured customers about improvements he has made to the premises after receiving the worst food hygiene rating possible.
Fresh Fish and Sea Food in Peckham received a 0 out of 5 food hygiene rating score following an inspection by Southwark Council’s Environmental Health team on March 18, with a report later being released on the Food Standards Agency.
When they visited the fishmongers at 77 Rye Lane, inspectors discovered flying insects where food was being stored and said blood spillages had not been cleaned up.
A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) shows that during the inspection, food had also been in contact with dirty equipment and there was a risk of cross contamination.
Ali Jay, Manager of Fresh Fish and Sea Food, explained that a number of improvements had been made since the inspection in March, including training staff weekly on hygiene and hazards and installing a brand new toilet.
He told the LDRS that the walls and ceilings were in the process of being repainted and repaired, and the temperature of the freezer is being monitored every day after there were previous issues with freezer tracking.
Fly catchers have also been introduced and deliveries are now being thoroughly recorded.
During the inspection, there was evidence of flying insects within the food storage, display and preparation areas. Meanwhile “bad” fish was stored in the freezer awaiting return to the supplier and was not labelled ‘not for use/sale’.
Inspectors said the rear exit door had gaps at the bottom that were large enough to allow pests inside and the area around the back door had refuse and old equipment which can also attract rodents.
At the inspection, there was no hot water available at the handwash basin for staff to wash their hands after using the toilet because the electric water heater was not working.
There was also no soap at the handwash basin and there was nothing to dry hands with after washing them. The premises has been advised by inspectors to have bactericidal soap and to have disposable paper towels for people handling food.
Inspectors said the handwash basin, ceiling surfaces, wall surfaces and floor surfaces were in a dirty condition and paint was peeling off walls and the ceiling.
On food hygiene training, inspectors said: “There was no evidence that staff had received any food hygiene training. It is a legal requirement for the person running a food business to ensure that staff involved in food handling, or working with food, are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters.
“This training must be appropriate to the work activities and responsibilities of the food handler. If staff cannot be supervised and instructed, they should be adequately trained.”
During the inspection, pre-packed foods for direct sale did not include any labels, so customers would not know the legal name of the fish, where it was caught and important defrosting and allergen information.
The internal surfaces of the ice machine were also dirty and food was not being stored in line with temperature instructions from manufacturers.
Following the inspection, Southwark Council’s Environmental Health team told Fresh Fish and Sea Food it must provide information on the action it has taken within 28 days.
Fresh Fish and Sea Food is understood to have been in the area for over 20 years.
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