Uddingston takeaway denies breaching hygiene regulations

Mar 18 2010 Hamilton Advertiser

THE owner of an Uddingston takeaway is to go on trial charged with 11 alleged food hygiene offences.

Thirty-four-year-old Farzand Ali, proprietor of Ahmed Tandoori in Main Street, has pleaded not guilty to 11 breaches of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 Act.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday, Sheriff Thomas Millar set a trial date for next month, and Ali – who lives in Glasgow – was granted bail in the meantime.

It is alleged Ali committed the offences either on September 22, 2008, or between August 18 and September 22 that year.

He is alleged to have failed to have adequate provision for the storage or disposal of waste materials, having bins with no lids which animals and pests could gain access to, and an excess volume of waste.

It is also alleged that there was no evidence of food safety procedures on the premises, according to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.

The charges also state that there was no temperature monitoring system in place, no cleaning system or schedule, no personal hygiene policy and no food hygiene training for staff.

Ali also faces allegations that his takeaway was not clean or maintained in a good state of repair, with the kitchen and basement areas allegedly accumulating dirt, grease and food debris.

It is also alleged that the store’s layout did not permit adequate maintenance, cleaning and disinfecting, with a walk-in fridge and equipment susceptible to condensation, mould, rust and flaking paint.

Ali is also alleged to have failed to sufficiently clean and disinfect knives, knife racks, fridge surfaces and cooking equipment in order to avoid food contamination in the store.

Further charges allege that fridge shelves were covered with rust and flaking paintwork, safe food bags were not used, there were no adequate handwashing or drying facilities in staff toilets, staff did not wear suitable clean clothing when preparing food, and had not received adequate training.

Farzand Ali denies all 11 charges.

At court last week, Sheriff Millar set a trial date of April 22, and an intermediate diet of April 4.