Knox City Council has successfully prosecuted a Boronia doughnut business which has been fined $11,000 for food safety breaches.
The company and director were found guilty of 20 offences under the Food Act 1984 and the Food Standards Code Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) in the Ringwood Local Court in relation to unsafe, unclean and insanitary conditions at their food premises.
The company was fined $6,000 and convicted, while the director was fined $5,000 but not convicted.
Council environmental health officers found repeated non-compliance at the food business following multiple inspections between April and December 2024.
The most serious charge related to doughnuts containing whipped cream being stored at unsafe temperatures. Police found that the display fridge was closed and the whipped cream doughnuts were stored at temperatures as high as 16 degrees Celsius. This is 11 degrees Celsius above the safe temperature limit, which is designed to minimise the growth of foodborne illness pathogens.
During the inspection, officers seized a number of potentially hazardous foods, including cream-filled doughnuts and sandwiches, because of poor temperature control.
Further food safety risks included damaged, unclean and unhygienic cooking equipment, accumulation of food residues, grease and other visible matter.
Further breaches involved unclean and unhygienic conditions within the food premises, with officers finding walls, floors and fittings were not kept in a clean state.
Officers also found inadequate pest control measures within the food premises.
The court agreed with the council that the judgment should send a strong deterrent signal to other food businesses that they must comply with the Food Act 1984 and FSANZ regulations.
The investigation and prosecution of this food business reflects the council’s important role in food safety management and its commitment to ensuring the well-being of people who buy food at Knox businesses.
This matter sends a serious signal to food business owners that the city council takes the health and safety of the community very seriously.
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