The hygienic handling of food has been seriously questioned at a Liverpool branch of a major US pizza brand.
Inspectors from Liverpool Council have slapped a zero out of five rating and deemed urgent improvement is required at the Papa John’s shop on Prescot Road. The store, opposite the Royal Liverpool Hospital, has been given a damning verdict on its management of food safety and the cleanliness of the building in a brief report released by the Food Standards Agency.
Officials visited the L7 shop on October 5 and have reported that they have serious concerns about hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage. The management of food safety was also an issue deemed necessary for immediate upgrade by local authority inspectors, who said improvement was needed to ensure that “food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.”
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Improvement is also required in relation to the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building, according to the report. This includes having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.
Papa John’s first began trading in the UK in 1999 and has hundreds of shops located throughout the country. According to its website, quality “is at our core” and is the “foundation” upon which the business started in the US. The business has more than 5,000 locations in 45 countries and territories around the world.
The pizza company has two locations in Liverpool, including Prescot Street, with a venue at Allerton Road. A further two sites are based on the Wirral, in Bebington and Wallasey.
The chain is also the sponsor of the Football League Trophy, in which Everton and Liverpool’s under 21 teams take part. If the proprietors believe the rating handed out to the business is unfair or wrong, they can appeal in writing to Liverpool Council.
Papa John’s also has the right to reply to tell customers how the business has improved its hygiene standards or if there were unusual circumstances at the time of inspection. This response will be published online, alongside the rating, by the local authority.
The ECHO contacted Papa John’s media representatives for comment.
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