By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The owner of a dirty, cluttered Mauritian restaurant in Dandenong has been convicted and fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to 17 food safety charges in 2019.
Louis James Zaza, who has owned Maussie Foods & Catering in Walker Street for five years, faced a potential maximum fine of $680,000 at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 1 July.
In April and May 2019, a council food inspector observed food stored on the floor down the length of a dirty hallway, the court heard.
In another room, packaged food was stored in a shopping trolley among building materials, utensils and a freezer of food.
The kitchen’s sink didn’t have soap or paper towels, its surrounding wall was black with grime and “deteriorated dirty rags” were being used.
In the dishwashing room, there was an “accumulation of food waste, dirt, dust and a black residue” on the surfaces and equipment.
A senior food inspector seized eight packets of unlabelled, pre-packaged sausages without use-by dates.
Maussie was “voluntarily” closed twice in April and May 2019 until its “unacceptable” kitchen was renovated extensively to the council’s satisfaction, Ms Goddard told the court.
A follow-up inspection just two days before the hearing revealed there were still several “poor food handling practices”, council prosecutor Rebecca Goddard told the court.
It included open packets of flour and rice stored on the floor, and a lack of temperature control for food.
Ms Goddard submitted that the council should collect the court-ordered fines of up to $680,000.
Defence lawyer Victor Wang argued that the court should take into account Zara’s business making a $47,000 loss in 2019-’20.
Its finances were hit hard by Covid lockdowns and the required kitchen renovations.
Mr Wang said there had been “vast improvements” in Maussie’s hygiene since two years ago.
Zaza conceded he’d still not yet taken food hygiene training even up to the day of the hearing – something that “flabbergasted” the presiding magistrate Andrew Halse.
Mr Halse ordered fines of $15,000 paid to the court’s charitable fund.
He took into account Zaza’s guilty plea, absence of priors, otherwise good character, difficult financial situation and his efforts to comply with inspectors’ directions.
“These charges are by their nature serious charges because of the potential for harm to members of the community should be fundamentally apparent to anyone involved in food service businesses,“ Mr Halse said.
“That your business was permitted to get into this state is extremely troubling.”
Zaza was also put on a 12-month adjourned undertaking that his premises complies with food safety law.
He must also complete food supervision and food-handling courses, and ensure all staff get food-handling training.
