City of Wolverhampton Council’s Environmental Health officers prosecuted
Margaret Omo-Osagie, the owner of Etin-Osa Afro-Caribbean Food, formerly
AJM Foods, for a string of food safety and hygiene offences.
During a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday (March 13),
Omo-Osagie was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months,
and banned from managing any food premises in England and Wales for five
years.
She had previously pleaded guilty to ten breaches of The Food Safety and
Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 for failing to:
comply with seven Hygiene Improvement Notices
keep the premises clean
maintain the premises in good repair and condition
ensure that food handlers were supervised and instructed and/or
trained in food hygiene matters
put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or
procedures based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) principles
ensure the council had up-to-date information about the premises
Investigations by council officers found that the Princess Street premises only
had one sink where two were required for separate handwashing and
equipment use.
In addition, the downstairs toilet opened directly into the cellar storeroom
where food was stored and handled and there was no hand washing basin
available for the toilet.
Councillor Craig Collingswood, cabinet member for city environment and
climate change at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “This is a very
unpleasant case where a city business owner has knowingly put customers
at risk.
“Significant illnesses are caused by poor food hygiene and I am shocked
by the lack of care shown by the defendant in the case.
“We work very hard to protect residents and consumers and won’t hesitate
to prosecute businesses that put people at risk.
“I hope other businesses take note of the court’s judgement and the fact
that we take food hygiene very seriously in Wolverhampton.”
