Making a meal of mould means a £2,500 take-away (From Free Press Series)

Making a meal of mould means a £2,500 take-away

A MONMOUTH food business has been fined £2,000 for selling mouldy hoisin sauce with a Chinese take-away meal.

Abergavenny magistrates were told that a customer purchased a pre-ordered Chinese take-away from China Boy Jo, in Monnow Street, Monmouth, in October last year and was later shocked to discover that what should have been a tub of hoisin sauce, was in fact a mass of mould.

The proprietor of China Boy Jo, Bonny Lai, was fined £2,000 for selling food failing to comply with food safety requirements and £500 for failing to comply with an Improvement Notice served following the incident.

The Improvement Notice required that food safety management systems were put in place. Mrs Lai was also ordered to pay Monmouthshire County Council's costs of £500.

The magistrates took into consideration the fact that Mrs Lai was not at the restaurant at the time the mouldy hoisin sauce was sold and that she had partially complied with the Improvement Notice served.

The bench also heard that Mrs Lai had personally attended a food hygiene course. Councillor Pam Birchall, cabinet member for the environment with Monmouthshire County Council, commented: "Most food traders comply with the law but this case sends an important message that if traders do not comply then formal action will be taken to protect consumers in Monmouthshire. This case illustrates the high cost of getting things wrong."

If food businesses require help in setting up systems to ensure safety, they should contact Monmouthshire County Council's environmental health department on 01633 644100.