Months after that so-called Kentucky Fried Chicken rat became viral and then ended up being a hoax, there's a new KFC hygiene concern, this time in the United Kingdom, where one of the chain's venues was found to have beetles, posing a serious food safety risk.
In a discovery that questions majorly the way KFC hygiene is handled in the chain, or at least in its Scotland franchise, operators of a restaurant in the city of Dundee have now been charged under food safety and hygiene regulations after it was found that there were live beetles and flies present in the kitchen and serving areas.
According to BBC, the KFC hygiene case started last year, when last September the franchise on High Street in Dundee was inspected and didn't meet the regulation standards, and the recent charge (under the Food Safety Regulations of 1995 and Scotland's Food Hygiene Regulations 2006) adds that there were live house flies on the front serving counter and food preparation areas, with live beetles on the floor under the front counter.
The KFC hygiene charges were made against the franchised operation Scotco Eastern Ltd., based in Aberdeen, and the case had continued until July.
The Courier reports that the KFC hygiene case also included allegations that floors in the kitchen and counter areas were covered in grease as well as food debris, besides being a pipe leaking into a dirty basin where employees had to wash their hands.
"I was bitterly disappointed by the failure of this restaurant to uphold our quality and food hygiene standards and I apologize on behalf of the business," said the franchise's director of operations, Ann Cooper, according to The Mirror. "We took immediate action and closed the store to return it to the high standards we expect and I am now certain that these have been restored and all issues addressed."
The branch is currently undergoing renovations - even as they've been fined £3,200 ($5,038), and they have to pay within the next 28 days.
