The Moorabin Justice Centre has convicted Chawlas restaurant and its directors Akshay Kumar and Nikhil Sharma in May this year for breach of 21 food safety laws. The restaurant has now been fined $30,000 for offenses under Victorian Food Act.
According to the State Government’s Food Convictions Register, this is the fifth Indian restaurant convicted this year for failing to comply with the Food Act.
The Monash Council health inspectors who inspected the restaurant found a number of unhygienic conditions including mouldy margarine, lack of cleanliness, evidence of cockroaches and filthy premises.
The other offenses include low maintenance of all fixtures and fittings, failing to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests on the food premises, failing to ensure food premises have adequate storage facilities for the storage of items .
The restaurant trading as Desi Vibez in the south-eastern suburb of Clayton which has closed down since May has also been named and shamed on the State Government’s Food Convictions Register.
The offenses filed against the restaurant are:
Food Act section 12(1) - did handle food intended for sale in a manner that will render, or is likely to render, the food unsuitable on 30 June 2016.
Food Act section 16(1) - on 30 June 2016 did fail to comply with any requirement imposed on the person by a provision of the Food Standards Code in relation to conduct of a food business or to food intended for sale or food for sale.
The other Melbourne Indian restaurants fined in 2017 :
Shri Annaprorna Restaurant - 290 Ballarat Road, Braybrook
Dawat-E-Sai - 3/83 Main Street, Gembrook
CQV - 1/11 Neutron Place, Rowville
Berwick Indian @ The Courthouse - 1 Gloucester Avenue, Berwick
