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Examples of breaches of food hygiene regulations.

Examples of breaches of food hygiene regulations.

Examples of breaches of food hygiene regulations.

Examples of breaches of food hygiene regulations.

Examples of breaches of food hygiene regulations.

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More than 320 Hamilton restaurants, takeaways, eateries and caterers have failed food safety inspections in the past year and one was so dirty the council closed it down straight away.

Hamilton City Council's environment health team inspects the city's 800 food businesses each year and just over half pass on the first inspection.

Horror stories include filthy kitchens and surfaces covered with cockroaches.

Of the businesses inspected since July 2009, 64 had critical food safety issues which include dirtiness and food being stored either at wrong temperatrues or risking cross contamination with raw food.

A further 263 premises were asked to correct minor issues.

The statistics make grim reading given that Waikato District Health Board reports 833 cases of food poisoning in the last year, the most common of which Campylobacter causes stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting and can stay in the body for a week. Council environment health manager Peter McGregor said uncleanliness was one of the most common problems.

A Hamilton restaurant was shutdown immediately in February because it was filthy and looked a mess. The premises was cleaned it up and was allowed to reopen.

Several years ago Mr McGregor walked into a place festered with cockroaches – it was the worst he had ever seen.

"Often there's a lack of cleaning. You look in places like behind freezers, on the floor or behind the wall and at cooking equipment and can see it hasn't been cleaned for some time.

"There's a difference between fresh mess and one hasn't be cleaned up for some time. The majority are fine – only a few of them we need to intervene." Depending on the seriousness of the problem, a business is given between a week and two months to rectify it. A retailer is only prosecuted if nothing is done and this is unusual.

Minor issues include a piece of unclean equipment or inappropriate clothing being worn.

Larger food businesses such as restaurants and takeaways tended to have more issues because of the complexity of the operation, he said.

Mr McGregor said most places operated at a satisfactory standard and staff tried to take an educatory role in the first instance before intervening, and finally enforcing.

Waikato DHB health protection officer Hans Buik said food poisoning could be extremely serious and stressed the importance of good food safety practices and hand hygiene.

As part of new legislation being rolled out food businesses can register for a New Zealand Food Safety Authority food control plan and rather than inspecting, council staff carry out audits based on the plans. Already 134 of the city's food businesses have signed up voluntarily either with NZFSA or HCC.

- © Fairfax NZ News