Chinese Takeaway Served Up Uncooked Sausage

On 31st August 2016 at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court, the food business operator (FBO) of Tin Sang Chinese Takeaway, situated at Dan-y-Twyn, Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, was ordered to pay a total of £1085 for selling unsafe food. The fine handed out to the owner of Tin Sang Mr. Jin Rong Chen was comprised of a £300 fine, £755 costs and a victim surcharge of £30. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court heard how the Environmental Health Department received a complaint from a member of the public that they had been served an undercooked sausage in batter at Tin Sang. An immediate investigation was launched by Environmental Health Officer Mrs. Sian Rapson who discovered that the sausage within the batter coating was practically raw. In addition, other unsafe practices were found and other food was immediately taken off sale at the premise. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As a result of this investigation Mr. Chen, Food Business Operator of Tin Sang was prosecuted by the Environmental Health Department and pleaded guilty to selling unsafe food. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mrs Susan Gow, Environmental Health Manager for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said ‘We receive a wide range of food complaints every year and all complaints are fully investigated. In this case the sausage meat within the batter was clearly raw and further checks uncovered a systematic failure to ensure that sausages in batter were thoroughly cooked. The risks from eating raw pork are high and include food poisoning from Salmonella, E.coli 0157 and Hepatitis E. As such, it was felt to be in the public interest to bring this prosecution against Mr. Chen.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor David Jones, Portfolio member for Neighbourhood Services and Public Protection, said ‘Environmental Health Officers routinely carry out unannounced inspections of all of the high risk food businesses within the Borough. In addition to this, we will act on any information received from the public to help ensure that consumers can eat out with confidence and free from the risk of food poisoning. Where standards are found to be below what is expected then action will be taken as has been the case with Tin Sang.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

You can check the hygiene rating of food businesses by visiting www.food.gov.uk/ratings. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

You can also check business hygiene ratings by downloading the ‘Food Hygiene Standards’ app (available for iphone and android mobile devices) ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​