Bettamaid director fined for food safety breaches

The NSW Food Authority has welcomed a decision in the Wollongong Local Court today to fine the director and general manager of Unanderra business ‘Bettamaid Fundraising’, known as Bettamaid, in relation to four offences in breach of the Food Standards Code.

On Monday 23 January 2017 Mr Udo Boschan pleaded guilty to executive liability offences under section 122 of the NSW Food Act 2003 to failure to comply with the Food Standards Code in relation to the accumulation of garbage, waste, dirt and other visible matter, failure to maintain premises/fixtures in a good state of repair for their use and not preventing pests from entering/failure to eradicate pests.

Facing the court today Mr Boschan was sentenced and fined a total of $3,600.

In April 2016 the liquidated company Bettamaid Fundraising was fined a total of $63,000 plus $20,000 in professional costs in relation to selling unsafe food and non-compliance with general hygiene requirements of the Food Safety Standards.

The Bettamaid company supplied the facilities with bakery products, which were tested and found to be contaminated with a rare strain of salmonella, the same strain that was implicated in the salmonella outbreak at the aged care facilities.

The charges came in response to the NSW Food Authority’s investigation into a salmonella outbreak in 10 aged care facilities on the NSW South Coast and ACT between January and March 2015.

In sentencing Local Court Magistrate Stoddard said the offences were not trivial in nature and dismissed an application by the defendant for convictions not to be recorded.

CEO of the NSW Food Authority Dr Lisa Szabo said the court result served as a reminder to all food businesses and individuals as to why food safety systems are crucial.

“This is particularly the case for those businesses and individuals who serve food to the most vulnerable members of our community such as the frail and elderly,” Dr Szabo said.

“Food businesses are obliged to keep their premises clean and properly maintained and ensure their food is safe and suitable for human consumption and comply with the standards in the NSW Food Act 2003.”