A RISK of contamination was found at a Hereford bistro handed a one-star food hygiene rating in a visit by inspectors.

Raw meat was being stored above cooked foods in the fridge at Bistro 61, with other food items being kept next to cleaning chemicals.

Hereford Times:

Some foods in fridge had passed their use-by date by up to 20 days. 

The bistro scored a one-star food hygiene rating, meaning that urgent improvement was necessary.

Releasing its hygiene report to the Hereford Times following a freedom of information request, officials at Herefordshire Council said that at the time of the initial inspection in February, there were issues with the storage of food items and the cleanliness of the premises.

For instance, there was also no designated basin for hand-washing, and bare wood, which cannot be effectively cleaned, was found in the serving area.

But there was evidence of Bistro 61 working to resolve the problems, the inspector said.

The report said that foods past their use-by, and other cooked food that had been stored at the wrong temperature, were thrown away at the time of the inspection.

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When inspectors re-visited the bistro in Commercial Street in March, raw meat had also been moved to below cooked foods in the fridge.

A designated sink had been signposted for handwashing.

Other defects highlighted included a lack of formal food hygiene training, and no food safety management system or procedure to ensure consumers are given accurate allergen information when requested.

Bistro 61 did not respond to the Hereford Times' request for comment.