AN out-of-date-curry, baguette and tuna were to blame for the one-star food hygiene rating Stoke Mandeville Hospital’s food caterers received last year.
Sodexo Healthcare, which runs the Aylesbury hospital’s Moments Cafe, was told its food hygiene and safety was poor following an unannounced inspection from a council officer on October 15, 2020.
The officer also had ‘little’ confidence in the management of the cafe, but praised the caterers for their structural compliance.
08/02/2012.Ambulance on the road into Stoke Mandeville ...and a bus just incase.By Anita Ross Marshall for News.
Since this rating was given, the site has been inspected again three more times and Sodexo now boasts a five-star grade.
But an investigation by the Free Press means it can now finally be revealed why the caterers received the second-lowest possible score in early December 2020.
According to the inspector’s very own report, Sodexo’s food hygiene score was so low because expired items (dating October 14) were found for sale.
These items were a vegan chickpea curry, a cheese and tomato baguette, and three tubs of tuna-mayo jacket potato topper.
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The inspector said these items were left on display despite an employee having checked the on-sale stock the night before.
And this was not the first time inspectors have found out of date food at Stoke Mandeville’s Moments Cafe, with the officer noting expired grub had been discovered on visits in December 2018 and April 2019.
WY50812 Stoke Mandeville Hospital ...By SL................
The inspector’s report read: “It is of great concern to find, once again, high-risk food with expired use-by dates on sale within a hospital.
“The vegan curry contained rice which can be known to contain the pathogenic bacteria Bacillus cereus.
“This bacteria produces a toxin that is not destroyed by heating and thus cooked rice products must be handled with extreme care and should not be consumed ad their use-by data has expired.
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“High riks food can also support the growth of Listeria Monocytogenes which can grow at low temperatures and is of extreme risk if consumed by vulnerable persons.
“Later in the report, it was stated: “Pathogenic bacteria, including listeria, is a risk especially in hospital environments, and robust stock control checks must be in place to identify and discard any high-risk food with expired use-by dates.”
The inspector told Sodexo to ‘urgently implement’ effective stock control checks.
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Their report also noted issues around the lack of readily accessible sanitise in the kitchen and gaps in food temperature records, too.
But it noted that standards of cleaning were generally good.
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Responding to the Free Press’s investigation, a Sodexo spokesperson said: “At Sodexo, we acknowledge the responsibility we have to our customers and have high standards regarding food safety and hygiene practices.
“The 1-star food hygiene rating related to one specific issue found on inspection in a retail area. We are pleased that the report found all other areas were performing well.
“As soon as we became aware of this rating, we developed a clear action plan for making improvements in the food retail area in partnership with the Trust and NHSI.
“Three further unannounced visits found no reported issues and the improvement notice was removed.
“We are pleased that since 16 December 2020 our food standard hygiene rating is rated five star.”
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