Guilty of unhygienic food handling, five hotel owners fined

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, March 11 (Daily Mirror) - Five hotel owners operating within the Manning Market Complex in Peliyagoda were today fined a total of Rs. 125,000 by the Colombo Additional Magistrate H.D.D.J Premaratne, for maintaining food in unhygienic conditions and selling food unfit for human consumption.

The Magistrate imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 each on the suspects after they pleaded guilty to the charges.

Court was informed by Public Health Inspectors that a raid carried out on March 5 at the Peliyagoda Manning Market Complex revealed several food outlets storing, displaying and selling food without maintaining proper sanitary conditions.

The suspects were charged with storing and selling food unfit for human consumption, keeping food exposed in unsanitary conditions and allowing employees to prepare food without proper hygienic attire.

The five hotel owners admitted to the offences in court in relation to the incident, and were accordingly ordered to pay the fines.

The charges had been filed for producing and storing food unfit for human consumption and selling it to consumers, acting in a manner detrimental to public health and preparing food under unhygienic conditions with employees wearing non-sanitary clothing.