Beetle Larva Found in Kebab

Submitted by edg on Fri, 3 Jun '11 5.29pm

An Edinburgh kebab shop owner has been fined £1350 after cooked beetle larva was found in a kebab sold from his takeaway.

City of Edinburgh Council food safety inspectors made a visit to The Olympus Takeaway on 13 October 2010, after a food complaint.

During the visit, the officers found that there was extensive evidence of both mouse and Larder beetle activity.

Mouse droppings were also found throughout the premises, mostly in the preparation room and basement. Both dead and live beetle larvae were found in the food preparation room.

Edinburgh Scientific Service’s staff also confirmed that the larvae had been cooked.

This week, on Monday the 30 May 2011 Hasan Gundogdu the owner of The Olympus Take Away 16 Elm Row plead guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to three charges concerning breaches of Food Hygiene and Food Safety legislation.

As a result he was fined £450 on each charge, a total of £1350.

The charges concerned his failure to store raw materials and ingredients in appropriate conditions in order to prevent harmful deterioration and to protect them from contamination.

His failure to control pests namely mice and Larder beetle (Dermestes) within his premises and his failure to ensure that the food he sold was safe, in that he placed on the market a kebab containing a larva of a larder beetle.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, Environmental Leader, said: "Residents and visitors to Edinburgh are entitled to expect the highest standards of food hygiene when they buy food in the city and it's important for them to have confidence that they can shop safely. Thanks to the vigilance and hard work shown by our Food Safety Enforcement staff in bringing about this fine, we can send out a clear message to all food business operators that they must adhere to food hygiene requirements or face the consequences.”

As a result of the conditions, the premises were closed by Mr Gundogdu until the 16 October 2010 at which time they reopened the pest and other problems having been rectified.