Dartford B&M Receives 1-Star Food Hygiene Rating from Inspectors
Dartford’s B&M store faces scrutiny after inspectors find serious hygiene issues
Dartford, B&M, Food Hygiene, Rodents, Inspection
Dartford: So, there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle at the B&M store. Food hygiene inspectors popped in and found some pretty alarming stuff. They actually seized some packaged goods, like Terry’s Chocolate Oranges and Rice Krispies, because they looked like they’d been nibbled on by rodents. Yikes!
B&M has said they’re really sorry that their usual high standards weren’t met. They’re calling it an “isolated incident” and promise they’re taking serious steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
This all went down after the Dartford council sent inspectors to the store on Princes Road last November. Just under two weeks later, they got a letter detailing the findings, which led to a pretty dismal rating of one out of five.
The inspectors were not impressed. They noted that food wasn’t protected from contamination and that the stock management was a bit of a mess. Apparently, food was stored all over the place, mixed in with cleaning products and even pet food. Not cool!
They also pointed out that pallets of goods were stacked haphazardly, leaving a lot of food sitting on the floor for way too long. And get this: some pallets were left outside for weeks under tarps because the store was overwhelmed with stock. Talk about a storage nightmare!
To make matters worse, the inspectors found a lot of food debris and dirt under the shelves, which could attract pests like rats and mice. They even found rat droppings and damaged food in the storage area. Gross!
B&M had a pest control check just a week before the health inspection, and the contractor said everything was fine. But when the council’s officers showed up, they found evidence of rodent activity, including some seized snacks that had been chewed on.
The inspectors told B&M to clean up the droppings, disinfect surfaces, and toss any food that had been damaged. They also need to seal up any openings in the building to keep pests out.
A spokesperson for B&M reassured everyone that they have strong policies for food hygiene. They apologized for the slip-up and said they’re taking serious action to fix things and prevent it from happening again. Let’s hope they get it sorted soon!