Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Madrid Restaurant Shut Down for Serving Pigeons as Duck
A Chinese eatery in Madrid has been closed after authorities discovered it was dishonestly serving roasted street pigeons as duck meat. Health inspectors and police conducted a raid on Jin Gu restaurant, located in the Usera district of the Spanish capital, on March 25, uncovering disturbing violations.
Disturbing Discoveries During Restaurant Raid
Unsanitary Food Handling Practices
Shocking video footage captured inside the Jin Gu restaurant by law enforcement officials revealed unsettling scenes. Twisted and poorly prepared meat strips were found hanging from clothes racks within the food preparation areas, indicating questionable hygiene standards. Additional video evidence displayed bags filled with soiled meat and bowls containing plucked and cooked street pigeons, confirming suspicions of deceptive and unsanitary practices.
Filthy Kitchen Conditions and Expired Food Storage
Local news sources further detailed the abysmal state of the restaurant’s kitchen. Eight malfunctioning and rusted freezers were discovered, filled with bags of unlabeled and undated meat and fish, raising serious concerns about food safety and potential health hazards. A cockroach infestation was evident throughout the kitchen, compounded by the presence of numerous rat traps scattered across the floor, highlighting severe pest control issues.
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The absence of thermometers to monitor storage temperatures, coupled with rusted and unsanitary cookware, further illustrated the restaurant’s blatant disregard for basic hygiene regulations.
Illegal and Prohibited Items
Beyond the unsanitary conditions, the Jin Gu restaurant was also found to be in possession of several banned and unlawful items. Notably, sea cucumbers, a marine species protected by stringent environmental laws, were among the illegal goods confiscated from the premises, suggesting further breaches of regulations.
The Jin Gu restaurant, in the Usera district of the Spanish capital, was raided on March 25
The restaurant was ordered to close and its owner is now being investigation for alleged public health crimes
Horrific footage taken inside the restaurant showed gnarled strips of meat hanging from clothes horses
Secret Storage Room Uncovered
Authorities also discovered a clandestine storage area hidden behind a shelf in the restaurant’s disabled restroom. This concealed room was not included in the business’s official operating license, indicating further regulatory violations.
Restaurant Closure and Legal Investigation
As a direct consequence of the extensive violations uncovered during the raid, the Jin Gu restaurant was immediately ordered to cease operations. The restaurant proprietor is currently under formal investigation for alleged crimes against public health, facing potential legal repercussions for the egregious breaches of food safety and hygiene standards.
London Restaurant Closure Due to Hygiene Issues
This incident follows a recent case involving Beach Blanket Babylon, a prominent restaurant in Notting Hill, west London, frequented by celebrities. This establishment was also forced to shut down after health inspections revealed a severe infestation of mice and rats.
Rodent Infestation and Contaminated Food
The London restaurant was found to have food supplies contaminated with mouse droppings, alongside evidence of inadequate cleaning practices and pest control measures. Furthermore, the restaurant failed to comply with a Hygiene Improvement Notice issued under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
Legal Action Against London Restaurant Operators
Due to these serious failures, Kensington and Chelsea Council officials initiated legal proceedings against Robert Kenneth Newmark and Conor George Thomson-Moore, the business operators of Beach Blanket Babylon. The pair admitted to significant food safety offenses related to poor hygiene practices.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing in London Case
Mr. Thomson-Moore entered a guilty plea to four charges at City of London Magistrates’ Court the previous week and is awaiting sentencing later in the year, while charges against Mr. Newmark were dropped. Inspections of the London establishment in September 2022 revealed extensive infestations of mice, cockroaches and rats. Excrement was found throughout the premises, and food items, including seeds, cocoa powder, and almonds, showed signs of rodent damage, highlighting a pattern of serious hygiene negligence in the food service industry.
The filthiness of the kitchen was laid bare by the footage
The restaurant held many illegal items including sea cucumber
Police said the restaurant had used street pigeons in place of roasted duck