A TAKEAWAY boss has been fined £2,000 after an environmental health inspection found dirty equipment and raw meat being stored alongside cooked food.

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Darlington bakery owner pleads guilty to food hygiene offences

Dr Masoud Mirsamadi, who runs Hot Plate, in Darlington’s Victoria Road, admitted five offences relating to food hygiene when he appeared at Darlington Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, January 21).

The court heard that during a routine inspection on September 3, an environmental health officer found the premises and its equipment to be ‘extremely dirty.’

They also found staff were not wearing protective clothing, evidence of cross-contamination between raw food and ready to eat food, and no food safety management system in place.

As a result, the business was given a food hygiene rating of zero – the lowest score possible.

Amy Wennington, prosecuting for Darlington Borough Council, said that in September, 700 of the borough’s 913 food businesses were given a food hygiene rating of five – the highest score possible – while only four were given zero.

“Dr Mirsamadi has failed to comply with food hygiene regulations for a long period of time. This action is necessary to ensure future compliance and to protect public health,” she said.

“There was ready to eat food that was being stored next to raw meat – it was a risk of contamination.”

The court heard 59-year-old Mirsamadi had managed five takeaway businesses across the region – three in Darlington, one in Hartlepool and one in Crook – but had closed down three over recent years.

He was left with Hot Plate and the Speedy Pepper, in Skinnergate, Darlington, which he was running single-handedly.

In mitigation Michael McGarry said: “He took his eye off the ball as to what was happening at Hot Plate.

“He was going down (to Hot Plate) on a daily basis and he didn’t see what was blindingly obvious, but he has put it right – he has done what is necessary.”

Mr McGarry said following the inspection, Mirsamadi blitzed the takeaway and has started new cleaning and food safety regimes which would enable the premises to be given a food hygiene rating of four if it was inspected again.

Magistrates ordered the father-of-three to pay a £2,000 fine and £120 victim surcharge, as well as £375 costs.