Food store fined $15K; Guilty of selling uninspected meat Third conviction for unsafe food

June 9, 2005
The Toronto Star
B5
Robert Cribb

Zheng Sheng Food Co. at 821 Gerrard St. E., a small Toronto grocery store has, according to this story, been convicted and fined $15,000 for selling uninspected meat and ungraded eggs the store's third conviction in three years for unsafe food.

Zhas faced 10 charges for food safety violations over the past two years including convictions in 2003 and 2004 for selling uninspected meat, ungraded eggs, failing to ensure food is not "contaminated/adulterated," and failing to "maintain wholesomeness of food."

Despite the convictions and fines of more than $5,000, the store has continued to operate.
On Feb. 8, inspectors again discovered uninspected meat, ungraded eggs and food contamination.

Jim Chan, a food inspection manager with Toronto Public Health, was quoted as saying, "We found about 100 freshly slaughtered chickens with evidence of feathers and fecal matter still on the body of the chickens. They were left unrefrigerated in paper boxes. And there were about five or six trays of ungraded eggs that appeared to have contaminants and visible cracks."

The store's operators were issued three summonses to court and given a yellow "conditional pass" rating. Two days later, inspectors posted a green "pass" rating following a re-inspection.

On Tuesday, a judge handed down the $15,000 fine.