Popular food company was banned from trading for two weeks due to 'active infestation of rats' at Milton Keynes premises

A Bletchley food company was banned from trading at its premises for two weeks following a court order obtained by environment health officers.

They visited the premises and found an active infestation of rats, with food exposed to a risk of contamination.

World Foods Wholesale is a specialist American Foods importer trading from a unit in Bilton Road in Bletchley.

It sells a wide range of candies, groceries and drinks from the USA.

On September 16, MK Council' s environmental health department went to Milton Keynes magistrates to obtain a 'hygiene emergency prohibition order'.

This is in accordance with the Food Safety Hygiene (England) Regulations of 2013.

World Foods Wholesale was forbidden to use the Bilton Road premises for the purposes of any food business and had to display the prohibition order must be displayed on the unit.

The order has been lifted today (Thursday) following further inspections by environment health officers. It is understood the place has been cleaned and the rats removed.

The Citizen has approached World Food Wholesale for a comment but so far they have not responded.

A spokesman for MK Council said: "On 16/9/21 an EHO visited ‘World Foods Wholesale’ at the listed address, operated by ‘Food Mill Limited’. At which time the officer was satisfied that the health risk condition (i.e. an imminent risk of injury to health) was fulfilled because there was an active infestation of rats and food was exposed to a risk of contamination.

" A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served on Food Mill Limited requiring them to immediately stop using the premises as a food business. At the subsequent hearing of 20/9/21 the court granted an Emergency Prohibition Order with the court declaring ‘that they are satisfied that the health risk condition, being that the state or condition of the premises used for the purpose of the business involves imminent risk of injury to health, was fulfilled at the time the notice was served’."

The spokesman confirmed the business remained shut until today, when the prohibition was lifted by the EHO.