A supermarket chain branch has been slapped with a one-star hygiene rating after inspectors discovered out-of-date food being sold and raised concerns over food storage standards.
Iceland at Swanley Square Shopping Centre in Kent was handed the low rating following an inspection on March 3 this year.
Inspectors said food items in “many” of the chest freezers were being stored above the load line, despite the issue having been raised during previous inspections.
They also found a packet of sausages in a fridge that was one day past its use-by date. The item was removed from sale during the visit.
Under UK law, it is illegal for supermarkets to sell food beyond its use-by date, with businesses potentially facing substantial fines for doing so.
Inspectors also reported that some food items were being kept at unsafe temperatures.
According to KentOnline, the report states: “A couple of items were probed and found to be -11.9C and -10.3C, these items were disposed of.”
The branch was advised to “assess which items had fallen out of [the] temperature control parameters and take the necessary action required by the company food safety procedures.”
As part of the outcome, the supermarket was told staff would need retraining to help improve food safety standards.
