Food best before 2010 sold

A FILTHY food shop was caught selling goods which were at least SEVEN years out of date.

An eye-opening report exposes the grim conditions inside the zero-star rated Bangladeshi food store Bangla Bazar.

Dirty, blood-soaked overalls were worn by staff handling meat inside the damp and dirty shop.

Hygiene standards were so poor, inspectors had to remind workers to wash their hands after visiting the toilet

Newcastle City Council demanded a string of improvements following multiple hygiene breaches.

When contacted to see if those improvement measures were in place, staff hung up the phone.

But a nine-page report paints a picture of squalor during the January 22 inspection.

“The area around the sink in the butchery was damp and rotten because it has not been adequately sealed to protect it from water,” said the report.

“Stock rotation was poor with some items found on sale in your shop with a best before date of 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.

“It was noted that the wash hand basin was not in regular use.” Bangla Bazar on Gloucester Road was ordered to clean up its act following the January 22 inspection

The council report didn’t specify what products had passed their best before date.

But it did state yogurts, a magnet for bacteria, were stored at room temperature and not inside the store’s fridges.

It also found floors, walls and even the mincer inside the shop in Gloucester Road in Benwell, Newcastle, were dirty.

Staff were told they hadn’t shown “any knowledge” on how to properly clean the butchery area.

Inspectors demanded “urgent improvement” over seven months ago, with staff warned they must “thoroughly clean” several areas.

The report, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed the council had no confidence in management.

The West End store advertises itself as “specialists in most kinds of Bang- ladeshi fish, prawns, halal meats and spices”. It also sells non-food goods.

We called the number listed on the store front and asked for the manager.

“The manager is no longer there, he is gone,” said a male employee, who didn’t give his name.

When asked about the conditions mentioned in the report, he said: “I’m busy.”.

He then hung up.