Two Chinese restaurants fined €33k over hygiene

TWO Chinese restaurants have been fined a total of €33,000 for multiple breaches of food hygiene regulations.

The largest fine, of €18,000, was handed down by the courts to the owner of a restaurant in Co Limerick.

Liu Yu Gang, of The Oriental Chinese Restaurant, Millstreet, Bruff, was convicted on 12 separate counts following inspections by a HSE officer on November 12 last.

Solicitor for the HSE, Katherine Kiely, told Bruff District Court that the charges related to a number of different breaches of the regulations which included frozen chicken fillets found thawing out in water in a sink and a chopping board stored on the floor.

An Environmental health officer with the HSE said when she inspected the premises she found that there was no hot water in the kitchen or staff toilets, and no hygienic hand dryer facilities for staff.

She said there was a build up of food debris on the fridge and freezer, which were coated in dirt, and food was stored in dirty containers in the fridge.

The court heard that following a more recent visit by the HSE to the restaurant only seven of the 46 points raised in her report had been dealt with.

Judge Mary O’Halloran convicted the owner of the restaurant, who was not present in court, on all 12 counts and imposed a €1,500 fine on each charge.

She also ordered that Mr Gang pay the HSE’s legal fees of €900 and gave him six months to pay the €18,000 fine.

Meanwhile, the HSE also took a successful prosecution against Dan Dan Hong, owner of the Red Sun Takeaway in Blarney, Co Cork.

Cork District Court was told that officers inspected the premises last August and found Ms Hong was in breach of 15 counts of the European (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2006. She was fined €1,000 on each of the counts.

The Red Sun Takeaway has been closed since September 13, 2007, after a closure order was issued by environmental health officers.

A HSE spokesman said closure orders are served when it is deemed, upon inspection, that there is, or there is likely to be, a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises.

Tony Christie, principal environmental health officer with the HSE South, said environmental health officers endeavour primarily to seek compliance through working together with food business operators.