Dead rat and droppings found in hygiene inspection at Kettering takeaway, report says

Rodent droppings were found on a basement floor and a dead rat was discovered behind a fridge when a hygiene inspector visited a Kettering takeaway, a report has said.

Zizou Express in Gold Street was given zero out of five – the lowest rating possible – when a North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) health protection worker checked on their premises on May 24.

A letter to ZE Kettering Ltd, which runs the franchised store, said that food had been exposed to "a risk of contamination", concluding that there had been "several breaches of food hygiene requirements".

ZE Kettering Ltd director Tahira Mehmood said they are vigorously appealing the findings of the report.

NNC said the takeaway, which sells gourmet burgers, milkshakes and more, was given a new rating of three last month after they paid for a rescore.

After a Freedom of Information request by the Northants Telegraph, last month NNC released the findings of their previous visit where an inspector highlighted more than 20 problems and suggested the site was "not being managed properly".

The report said that damage to an ice cream machine cover was "consistent with gnawing by rodents" and that there was "a very strong and unpleasant smell in the basement".

It said: “The smell was detectable throughout the premises and is consistent with poor standards of cleaning and rodent activity.”

The inspection report added that there were "rodent droppings on the floor of the basement", "large numbers of flies" and a "dead rat behind fridge number five".

It also said that the cold water tap at the wash hand basin in the ground floor preparation area "wasn’t working properly" and a basement sink was being used for washing chicken and equipment and utensils – which the inspector said was "not acceptable".

In their report, the inspector said: "I have visited the premises several times over the past few weeks and noted several breaches of food hygiene requirements associated with the collection and disposal of waste and the provision of hot water at sinks and wash hand basins.

"The repeated nature of these problems was a cause for concern and suggest that the premises are not being managed properly.”

The report also said that one fridge contained "unwrapped and open food that was not labelled or dated" as well as raw burgers which were being "defrosted above ready-to-eat salad". It added that food handlers were "probing burgers and burger buns without adequately disinfecting the probe thermometer between uses".

It said: "Raw burgers were defrosting in the fridges but above grated cheese, thus exposing the cheese to a risk of contamination.”

Mrs Mehmood said she wanted to make clear that ‘no issues were found inside the kitchen’ and that the problem identified in the basement was linked to a rear shared courtyard. She claimed that they had asked NNC to look into the issue but that no action was taken.

She said the basement was ‘unused’, although the council inspector’s report said it had a freezer and fridges as well as a sink which was used for washing.

Mrs Mehmood said: “Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to reassure our customers that our food is prepared and cooked to the highest standards and quality.

“We are vigorously appealing the findings of the report.”

She added: “Food hygiene remains our utmost concern.”