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 (13 March), Omo-Osagie was given a 4 month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from managing any food premises in England and Wales for 5 years.
She had previously pleaded guilty to 10 breaches of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 for failing to:
- comply with 7 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 1 sink where 2 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.”
