A national catering company received zero stars for its food hygiene rating after a “significant amount” of rat feces was found in a school.
Chartwells was told to “get better” after rat activity was discovered at Berkeley Primary School in Layton, east London.
The Environmental Health Officer (EHO) found that the food giant “failed to identify, record or address mouse activity in the kitchen.”
An inspection of the kitchen and food storage areas provided a rating based on the “door points” system.
Chartwells, which was at the center of protests over free school lunches last year, said Barclays faces an “isolated” problem, with 98% of its schools rated 4 or at most 5 stars.
In the report, inspectors said they found “significant amounts of rat droppings” during a visit on May 18, 2022.
The documentation says: Implementation of effective pest control measures to eliminate pest activity in food processing and storage areas. To keep kitchens and storage rooms pest free from future pest/rodent infestations.
The UK’s largest school catering company was also told to provide daily allergen sheets, label ‘squeezed’ foods such as bread and store probes in clean containers rather than stickers, candles or lighters.
In subsequent handwritten recommendations, operators were told to store raw meat and fish in freezers on shelves marked “Raw Only,” below other foods.
The survey report was released by the Waltham Forestry Council following a Freedom of Information Act request.
Officials told the Canterbury Road school they “reviewed and documented pest issues on a daily basis,” including sealing gaps at the bottom of delivery doors and closing windows and opening doors for ventilation.
The final score received zero stars, which means “immediate improvement” according to the Food Safety Rating.
Chartwells was accused in January 2021 of taking advantage of needy families and taxpayers by offering disproportionately small free school lunch packages.
After a national outcry that began on Twitter, consumers responded that the grocery package contained a “variety of nutritious foods,” making the content “improved.”
In response to ratings posted on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website as of September 2, 2022, the supplier said: Made the day before EHO [Environmental Health Officer] I visited and found no evidence of pests.
However, an EHO visit found old rat poop under the washer.
“The exterminator later confirmed that it was old waste and free of infestations.
Respondents said the contractor was listed as Chartwell at Berkeley Elementary School and then attended the school every day for 20 days after following inspection and pest control recommendations. There were no signs of other pests.
In a response posted on the FSA website, Chartwells continued:
A spokesperson for the restaurant said:
“We look forward to addressing the isolated issues that have been raised, retraining our team and welcoming back EHO as soon as possible.
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Source: Metro
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