A NSW Chinese restaurant has been fined $440 after a customer found a used band-aid in her laksa. The woman reported the sickening find to the NSW Food Authority who advised the Council of the Baulkham Hills restaurant.
“I’m so upset. I feel like I have been violated,” said the woman who dined at the restaurant last month. “I feel like someone stuck a needle in me since the band-aid went into my mouth. I still have the taste in my mouth and I’ve gargled. It’s just so horrible.”
She also added that although the meal was refunded to her, the restaurant made no effort to apologise.
Inspector found more cleaning needed
A spokesperson for The Hills Shire Council said an inspection was carried out on the Chinese restaurant after the complaint was received. “While it was judged to be in a reasonable condition, the operators were instructed to carry out some general cleaning,” he added. “It was established that one of the cooks had lost a band-aid and Jin’s Gourmet will be re-inspected again next week.”
The fine means that Jin’s Gourmet Chinese restaurant has been added to the NSW Food Authority’s infamous Name-and-Shame list, which already boasts the names of 11 other Hills food businesses that have reportedly been issued a total of 30 penalty notices between them.
The importance of food safety
The gruesome discovery of the band-aid highlights the importance of practising a high level of food safety in all areas of a food business. The physical contamination of the laksa is an example of a food handler practising poor food safety.
It is the responsibility of the businesses Food Safety Supervisor to ensure that all food handlers are properly trained in food safety so as to minimise the risk of contamination like this occurring. For more information on the responsibilities of a Food Safety Supervisor, visit our course page.