A town centre Isle of Wight convenience store has been slapped with a one-star food hygiene rating after inspectors found products containing a banned ingredient that cannot legally be sold in drinks in the UK.
Isle of Wight Council environmental health officers visited Simply Local on Cowes High Street on June 26.
A newly-published report listed several concerns, including the lack of a suitable hazard analysis and critical control points system.
The inspector found products containing the banned additive EDTA, which cannot be sold in drinks in the UK.
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The products included several Mountain Dew flavours, which were poured down the drain.
Other drinks were sold without English-language labels or with additives listed incorrectly.
Staff voluntarily removed them from sale.
Shop staff could not tell the inspector where the drinks had been imported from.
Stock control was poor, with bags of spinach, rocket and watercress found six days out of date.
High-risk foods including cheese were found in a kitchen cupboard at temperatures above 8C.
The temperature probe was not sanitised, creating a risk of cross-contamination.
Food cooked on the day of the visit had not been checked with a temperature probe.
Staff wiped antibacterial spray off surfaces too quickly for it to work effectively.
The kitchen sink and staff toilet had no suitable hand-drying materials, while the premises had too few sinks.
The former storage room had been converted for food preparation, but its layout, design and construction were unsuitable for proper hygiene.
Defective walls and other areas also needed repairs.
Inspectors also raised concerns about allergens and cleanliness.
The inspector recommended refresher training for staff.
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