A Chinese restaurant was handed the worst possible rating for hygiene after inspectors found 'dirty' areas and vinegar being used as a surface cleaner.
Hee Kee Cantonese Restaurant in London Road was inspected on February 17 by a team from Liverpool Council's Environmental Health team. Following the visit the business was slapped with a zero rating for food hygiene, meaning that major improvement is required.
The ECHO used Freedom of Information laws to obtain a copy of the full inspection report and see what concerns were raised by the inspectors following the Hee Kee visit.
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In one section of the report, it raised the issue that 'the food surface sanitiser in use was vinegar, which is not compliant.'
Another section added: "It was unclear how long the cooked duck and pork sides are hung before refrigeration. You should aim to refrigerate the meat within 90 minutes of cooking."
The inspectors were also concerned that "floor areas in the kitchen beneath and behind equipment were dirty, with accumulations of fat and food debris".
The report added: "The pavement and road gully area outside the back door was filthy. The gully appeared to be blocked. Blame was placed upon windblown litter, this debris would not accumulate if the area was kept clean and free from pooling water.
"There were accumulations of waste paper, cardboard and waste food behind the chest freezer in the dry good store. This area must not be overlooked during routine cleaning."
Food businesses in Liverpool are routinely inspected by local authority hygiene teams. A health officer will look at three criteria when inspecting a premises. These include how hygienically the food is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored, the cleanliness, layout, lighting and ventilation of the building and how the business manages what it does to make sure food is safe.
Each establishment receives their rating following an inspection conducted by a food safety officer from the council. A rating of zero means urgent improvement is necessary, one means major improvement is required while two means improvement is needed. A rating of three means the premises is generally satisfactory, four is good and five is very good.
The ECHO has contacted Hee Kee for a response.
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