KFC outlet given E rating after cockroach problem

An Auckland KFC outlet has been given an E hygiene rating after a cockroach was found in a chicken burger. Now it has been caught falsely displaying an expired health certificate.

The store on Great North Rd, New Lynn, was given an E-grade hygiene rating by Waitakere City Council on March 7 after inspectors found it crawling with cockroaches.

The council inspection was sparked by two complaints from the public, one of whom found a whole cockroach inside a Zinger burger. The customer returned the burger to the store and complained but was not satisfied by the manager's assurance that staff would look into the matter.

Another customer complained to the council after seeing live cockroaches crawling on a food preparation counter.

E-grade is the lowest possible rating, described by the council as "well below standard". New Lynn KFC is the only known E-grade chain restaurant in Auckland.

Establishments have to prominently display the hygiene certificate where customers can see it.

When visited by the Herald on Sunday last week, KFC New Lynn was displaying an expired B-grade certificate from December 2003.

While the store may not have received a copy of its E-grade certificate yet, it should still have been displaying the D-grade it was given in November 2004.

Waitakere City Council also noted in its March 7 inspection report that the store had been displaying an expired certificate and could face court action if the problem was not remedied.

The majority of the 96 KFC outlets in New Zealand are owned by Restaurant Brands, which also runs Pizza Hut and Starbucks.

KFC store and area managers would not comment to the Herald on Sunday, but Restaurant Brands chief executive Vicki Salmon said that KFC had strong food hygiene policies and procedures.

"It is very disappointing that this has happened. We have to deal with the council on this and we've done that and it's been fixed."

However, she said part of the reason for the store performing poorly would have been its age.

"We know that that store is quite old and we need to put some investment back into it," she said.

Ms Salmon would not comment on whether any disciplinary action had been taken against the manager of the store.

KFC sells around 116 tonnes of chicken and 120,000 burgers nationwide each week, with total New Zealand sales of $173.1 million last year.

- Herald on Sunday