Meat cutting plant pays over £9k for hygiene breaches

The operator of the white meat cutting plant and cold store in Gravesend pleaded guilty to using dirty trays at a hearing at Medway Magistrates' Court.

Dirty trays​

The offences were discovered on 27 January 2020 during an unannounced visit by Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials. Reusable plastic trays contaminated with dirt and grime were found to be storing exposed and bagged meat.

The FSA had previously warned the business for similar issues the year before, the agency said.

Plastic trays, widely used in the meat industry, can be a source of contamination if they are not cleaned properly.

KTM Meats admitted that the trays were dirty on the day of inspection and said it had since increased the frequency of cleaning at the site and employed more staff for cleaning duties.

Hygiene issue​

The business was fined £2,680, and ordered to pay costs of £6,489 as well as a victim surcharge of £181.

Simon Tunnicliffe, head of field operations at the FSA, said: “We take all breaches of hygiene regulations seriously. This business was fully aware of the hygiene issue at its site, which it failed to address.​

“Where businesses disregard food hygiene standards, we will take action to ensure that public health is protected,” ​added Tunnicliffe.

Bristol company fined​

In November, Bristol meat cutting plant and cold store Elite Poultry Ltd was ordered to pay a total of £62,606 in fines after the FSA uncovered hygiene breaches on two separate visits.

During an unannounced inspection on 24 April 2019, officials found poultry meat in bags to be transported from the plant without ID marks, with some in reused cardboard boxes.

A separate visit on 3 October 2019 also detected meat in the cutting plant above the legal minimum temperature.

Elite Poultry Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to apply ID marks, breaching temperature requirements and reusing cardboard boxes for the storage of meat.

Bristol Magistrates’ Court ordered the business to pay a £53,000 fine, plus costs of £9,425 and a £181 victim surcharge.