Major Milton Keynes food company receives dismal hygiene rating

Environmental health inspectors rated The Ball Corporation (Sodexo Food Services) on Northfield was given an official food hygiene rating of one, which means "major improvement" is necessary.

Inspectors found a tray of raw sausages placed on a small work surface next to a tray of cooked sausages, and a pasta dish being cooled, uncovered, on a draining board very close to where dirty pans were being washed up in the sink.

Two items of food - a tub of chicken tikka sandwich filling and a pack of smoked bacon - that were past their use by date were found in the chiller cabinet. Both should have been deemed unsafe, states the report.

The inspector also found salad items were not washed in the required sanitising salad wash, and chefs were unaware of the need to sanitise probe thermometers between uses.

The inspector's report adds: “In the unit self inspection form, it states that equipment used for raw food preparation was stored separately from that used for the preparation of ready to eat foods. This was not the case on site, with all chopping boards and equipment being stored together.

"I observed a member of staff handle raw sausages and then go directly to handling food containers full of ready-to-eat peas and beans without washing his hands in between. I had to remind him to wash his hands before handling any more food items."

The report continues: "It is clear from assessing the history of this premises that many of the items raised in this report form have been raised by previous inspectors a number of times, including the lack of control of stock rotation and adherence to Sodexo procedures.”

There were a number of areas throughout the kitchen where the wall tiles had cracked and plaster was starting to flake off of the walls. There were areas, especially underneath equipment and racking, where there was an “excessive build-up of food debris”.

A spokesperson for Sodexo said: “At Sodexo we acknowledge the responsibility we have to our customers and have high standards regarding food safety and hygiene practices. As soon as we became aware of the outcome of the audit, we reviewed all our practices and scheduled refresher training for all our employees to address the points highlighted in the report within a four-week period. We have applied for a re-audit and are currently waiting for the visit to be scheduled."