Shop owner fined $500 for mouse-dropping pies

LUNCH BAR EXTRAS: Mouse droppings baked into the pie. The mice problem has been dealt with, says takeaway bar owner Guang Liu.

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Two black specks led to a $500 fine for a Wellington takeaway bar – $250 for each mouse dropping baked on to the bottom of a pie.

Nearly a year after the rodent infestation that shut down his lunch bar for two days, Guang Liu says he is quite happy with the way the episode ended this week in Wellington District Court. "It's a good lesson for us. We always keep our eyes open."

Mr Liu, known as Eric, pleaded guilty to selling a pie on December 16 that contained mouse droppings from his Tirangi Rd, Rongotai, takeaway.

Prosecutor Matthew Ferrier told the court the man who bought a pie from the shop noticed two black specks baked into the bottom crust.

Scientific analysis found the specks were mouse droppings, complete with mouse hair from the animal grooming itself, surrounded with a blue-green ring of dye from poison the mouse had eaten.

Mr Ferrier said an inspection of the shop revealed a significant mouse problem, with five to seven droppings in most of the pie trays and the warmer drawer.

Several poison bait stations in the building were inadequate and the business was closed for two days while action was taken.

Mr Liu's lawyer, Michael Hay, said the problem arose at a busy time of year when staff were absent and Mr Liu was coping on his own.

The 10-year-old business had passed at least four inspections since the incident "with flying colours", Mr Hay said.

Judge John Walker said he saw the situation as a "lapse", although a pretty serious one. He fined Mr Liu $500 and ordered him to pay court costs of $130 and $100 towards the Food Safety Authority's legal costs.

MOUSE TRAP

* Eating mouse droppings can cause food-poisoning illnesses, from gastroenteritis to more serious diseases.

* The small amount of poison – similar to a blood-thinning medication – a mouse would eat would be unlikely to endanger a human eating its droppings.

* Food hygiene prosecutions depend on the severity and frequency of problems.

* The local council and Regional Public Health, with the Food Safety Authority, can prosecute. Wellington City Council temporarily closed eight food premises in the year to June. From July to November this year two more were temporarily closed.

* None were prosecuted. No cafes, restaurants, or bars have lost their operating licence in the past 12 months.

* The council says premises closed for health reasons can be named only if they are prosecuted and details made public in court.

- © Fairfax NZ News