Media release
16 June, 2006, Orewa.

Council moves swiftly to protect community health

Rodney District Council has taken swift action to protect the community from potential food poisoning after an Orewa Takeaway bar was found to be operating in an appalling state.

The New Highway Takeaway in Grand Drive was closed by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service within hours of council officers inspecting the premises last Wednesday (7 June).

The council’s Environmental Health Manager, Ian Farrell, says the health standards at the premises were deplorable and presented an obvious risk to public health.

“The place was filthy. The way food was stored was completely unacceptable, the premises were cluttered with items not related to the business, work surfaces were dirty and no proper sanitising or cleaning materials were present.

“Under food hygiene regulations we were obliged to call in the Medical Officer of Health and he agreed with council officers that for public safety the premises should be closed down,” says Mr Farrell.

The takeaway bar owners were given two and a half pages of items to address and one week to get them done.

Mr Farrell says the owners worked extremely hard to clean up their act.

“When we reinspected the premises two days later we were satisfied that they had done enough to allow them to re-open,” he says.

The council inspects 500 food premises throughout the district up to four times a year grading each one A, B, D or E for cleanliness and hygiene as part of the registration process.

Grades are then published on the council’s website and displayed in the premises for the benefit of the public.

“This is a timely reminder to all food premise owners that they must adhere to the health standards if they want to keep operating without disruption to their business,” says Mr Farrell.

A new round of re-grading the district’s food premises gets underway from 1 July. The New Highway Takeaway had a ‘D’ grading before being temporarily closed.

ENDS

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