A FOOD supplier in Colchester which sells goats heads and beef snouts has been ordered to undergo a deep clean after inspectors found "blood splashing" on the handle of a walk-in freezer.

Yawee Foods, which describes itself as being “a peculiar African and Caribbean wholesale and retail store,” is based in Davey Close, Greenstead.

When inspected by the Food Standards Agency in March last year, the store was given two stars out of five, and an inspection which took place earlier this year yielded the same result.

But the full inspection report, which was uncovered following a Freedom of Information request, found immediate improvements were needed across a range of departments to prevent cross-contamination of meat and vegetables.

Containers of soap were found sitting on the floor and boxes of meat were obstructing handwashing basins, the report found.

The FSA report outlined five food handling procedures which needed to be rectified immediately, with four legal requirements needing to be met as soon as possible.

One section of the report read: “The condition of products being kept in your walk-in freezer was poor.

“There were split boxes exposing meat and poultry items to risk of contamination.

“Several packets of vacuum-packed bags of beef in your chiller units had been damaged causing blood to leak out onto other products and foodstuffs.”

Blood had also been found on the handles to a freezer unit, with bags and food debris left under one of the display counters.

The report went on: “Blood splashing was seen to the handle of your walk-in freezer; clean such contact surfaces on a regular basis.

“There were numerous bags, food debris and other obsolete pieces of equipment under the front butchery display counter.

“Leaving bags and food debris around this area could attract pests such as mice or rats.”

Other aspects, though less serious, were said by inspectors to need addressing immediately.

“A plastic box of vegetables/herbs were being kept on the floor under the wash hand basin next to a box of Boyne raw beef, again posing risks of cross and physical contamination.”

Yawee Foods declined to comment on the report when contacted by the Gazette.