A Barrow takeaway was using a draining board to prepare raw meat, inspectors found.
The Taj Mahal in Cavendish Street was awarded one star – out of five – for food hygiene by inspectors who visited earlier this year.
Dirty wiping cloths and unclean clothing were also highlighted in the report for Taj Mahal in Cavendish Street.
“There was an apron and food debris in the kitchen wash hand basin, and only limited handwashing was taking place,” said the report. “There was also no hand soap at the wash hand basin in the bar area.”
The inspectors found dirty utensils in the sink used for washing food.
“This sink must be thoroughly cleaned and maintained in a clean condition, and in future should only be used for food washing,” said the report.
The inspector’s report said spices and other seasonings were being added to different dishes using a single spoon, presenting a risk of cross-contamination.
Concerns were raised about the temperature of food. When asked about temperature monitoring, inspectors were presented with a probe thermometer that had not yet been used (still in original packaging), and no other thermometers were available.
“When tested with a probe thermometer, it was demonstrated that the large pan of cooked rice (which had been left to cool on a counter for more than four hours) had a core temperature of in excess of 33C,” said the report.
“Ensure that hot food is cooled to a temperature of no more than 8C in less than 90 minutes to mitigate the growth of food-poisoning bacteria.”
The report said that cooked chicken in the kitchen had a temperature of 15C when tested with a thermometer. It stressed that the temperature should be kept at or below 8C.
It was also noted that cooked chicken was not properly covered and that bins did not have lids fitted.
“There was a large hole in the ceiling of the kitchen above a food preparation surface,” said the report. “As a matter of urgency, repair or renew the ceiling to leave a surface that is smooth, impermeable and will prevent the accumulation of dirt.”
It described food hygiene awareness among staff as ‘inadequate’ and requested all food handlers at the site be ‘supervised, instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters as necessary’.
The manager of Taj Mahal said inspectors would be returning within the next two weeks and that ‘everything they have asked for us to improve has been done’.
