Two Sydney fast-food restaurants have been hit with a record $73,125 fine after a customer complained of dirty premises.

KFC outlets at Hurstville and Miranda were convicted of 11 charges of breaches of food hygiene laws after a Food Authority investigation spanning several months. The defendant was also ordered to pay $14,000 court and legal costs.

Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said that inspectors had acted on a complaint made to the Food Authority and found serious cleanliness and pest problems in both stores from May 2007 to February 2008.

“Restaurant management was warned to rectify poor hygiene standards at both restaurants on several earlier inspections, but those cautions were ignored,” he said.

At the Miranda store inspectors found a build up of grease, food and debris on kitchen equipment as well as dirty food storage and preparation areas, walls, ceilings and floors.

The Authority ordered the store closed in June, 2007 after an improvement notice was ignored.

At the Hurstville store inspectors found evidence of pests and extensive cleanliness problems in the food preparation area. “Clearly this is not a minor or isolated incident, and the Court took the view the defendant failed to fix problems identified before,” Mr Macdonald said.

“The large fine again demonstrates that food safety in NSW is taken seriously. Food businesses, large and small, need to take responsibility for food safety on all levels from senior management down to junior staff.

“This case is a textbook example of how consumers play a vital role in helping police food safety standards. Complaints are taken seriously and acted on swiftly.”