Glass found in raw meat at Greenwich butcher by inspector

Woolwich Meat & Grocery in Plumstead Road has received a hygiene rating of one

A south London butcher has been found with broken glass in raw meat for sale, a recent hygiene inspection found.

The Greenwich Council inspector also found bags of rice in Woolwich Meat & Grocery with holes, likely made by mice.

Drinks sold were close to being contaminated with blood from open meat carcasses, the report added.

The business, which was awarded a hygiene rating of one, has been contacted for a response.

The inspector said the shop must obtain a pest control visit, in order to provide "control, suitable baiting, and proofing of the premises for mice," the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) says.

Food sold in the Plumstead Road store, such as chicken and oxtail seasoning, were also past their sell by date.

Honey beans and soft drinks sold in the butchers were found to contain harmful pesticides, with high levels of preservatives and artificial colourings in the drinks, after being illegally imported from Nigeria.

The inspector wrote: "This drink contains one of the so-called 'Southampton six' colours, which have been shown to have an adverse effect on the behaviour of young children.

"Any product in the UK which contains any or all of these colours must display the mandatory warning on the packaging."

The shop floor was also found to have had safety hazards, such as broken tiles and dirty work surfaces, the report said.

The inspection required the butcher to fix the issues immediately, with staff being given four weeks to complete proper food hygiene training.

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