Royal Shawarma, at 63 Friargate, Preston given one star food hygiene rating over ‘hummus’

A takeaway storing hummus, olives and yoghurt sauce at the wrong temperature was awarded a on star food hygiene rating by inspectors.

Working in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency, inspectors from Preston City Council visited the Royal Shawarma, at 63 Friargate on June 12.

Inspectors said they were concerned about the temperature of ‘high risks foods’ such as hummus, olives and yoghurt sauce being kept in a display fridge at 11.8°C.

The inspector said: “The temperature of the hummus, olives and yoghurt sauce stored in the display refrigerator was too high at 11.8°C. These foods are likely to support the growth of food poisoning bacteria or the formation of toxins and must not be stored above 8°C.”

The takeaway bosses were told they must either adjust or service the refrigerator. If the refrigerator is not able to hold high-risk foods at or below 8°C, it must be replaced.

As a temporary measure, takeaway bosses were told to only display a very small amount of the above mentioned foods (and keep the rest in the large back fridge) and adhere to the following procedure.

The inspector said: “As discussed, whilst it is not good practice to keep foods out of refrigeration, I would confirm that high-risk foods intended to be served cold can be kept for service or on display for sale for up to 4 hours if the temperature of the food is above 8°C. After 4 hours, the food must be refrigerated until it is sold, served or thrown away. The food must not be displayed again at room temperature.”

During the visit inspectors found a number of other issues which caused them concern.

They included: The floor covering in the upstairs room was damaged. Renew or repair the floor covering and leave in a sound easy to clean condition; There was no hot water to the wash hand basin. Ensure there is a supply of hot and cold, or appropriately mixed, running water to the wash hand basin.

In his report sent to the Royal Shawarma bosses, the lead inspector said: “You have failed to:

“Identify relevant hazards and any associated checks or procedures in your businesses that are needed to make certain the food you produce is safe;

“Put in place practices and procedures that would control potential problems.

“Document the above and any monitoring records In particular, the following matters were noted during my inspection:

“There was no documented Food Safety Management System in place;

“There was no probe thermometer.

“In order to comply with this requirement. I suggest that you follow the guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency Safer Food Better Business (England) which will guide you through how to comply and provide the necessary documentation.”

The team at the Royal Shawarman were also told they must use a probe thermometer to check the temperature of hot foods.

As well they must document the above temperatures on the daily diary sheets for whole chickens, half chickens, chicken shawarma and lamb shawarma.

The inspector added: “I understand you do not have a pest control contract. I recommend you carry out regular, thorough checks for evidence of pests and keep a record of these checks on the premises.”