ADDITIONAL visits have been carried out at a popular Indian restaurant in Cwmbran to see progress made since being handed a zero-hygiene rating.

Tiffins Indian Buffet Restaurant, which is along Glyndwr Road, Cwmbran was given the rating following an inspection by a food safety officer at the establishment last month.

Originally it had a hygiene rating of three.

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The two visits - which were not re-inspections - were then carried out on December 6, 2018, and Monday this week, to check on progress. An inspector noted "improvements in standards" but it was later said that the rating would remain until it is re-assessed.

Councillor Fiona Cross, who is the executive member for the environment for Torfaen Borough County Council, said: “As a result of a food hygiene inspection on the December 6 2018 Tiffins Indian Buffet Restaurant was issued with a zero food hygiene rating.

"This was due to bad food hygiene and safety procedures, poor cleaning and structural compliance along with little confidence in the food safety management procedures.

"Environmental health officers revisited the restaurant on the December 7 2018 and again on the January 14 2019 and noted improvements in standards. However, the food hygiene rating will remain a zero – it will be reassessed at the next scheduled inspection or sooner if the owners of the business make an application for a re-rating.”

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The food safety officer will also inform the business how quickly these improvements must be made and this will depend on the type of issue that needs to be addressed.

A member of staff from the restaurant said: "Although the EHO did visit the restaurant twice on no occasion was this to re-score the 0 rating.

 “It is a fact that any premises requesting a rescore must pay £160 before a re-rating can take place, this can take up to 12 weeks.

“On his last visit the EHO was satisfied with the improvements made and that following a right to reply, a re-rating request and payment of £160, we are confident that the restaurant will achieve a score of four when the re-rating visit is done.

“A right to reply and a re-rating request have been submitted to TCBC along with the payment and we patiently await a re-rating visit within the next 12 weeks, meanwhile we have to, unfairly, display the 0 rating which does not reflect the current levels of food hygiene and management structure at the premises and is having a detrimental effect on business, in addition to this our staff have been racially abused by misinformed members of the public.

“Had the restaurant posed a risk to public health during any of the EHO visits it would have been shut down immediately, this did not happen.”

The newly published rating means that major improvements are necessary in the areas of food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, food safety management and system checks.

Businesses given ratings of zero are told that they must make urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards. The local authority food safety officer will use a number of enforcement tools as well as giving advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made.