Insects found inside spirit bottles at pubs and restaurants In this feature l insect contamination l open-top pourers l emerging issue Jay Moran outlines the emerging issue of foreign-body contamination by insects accessing drink bottles through open-top pourers Beware bugs in bottles A The issue was found at a variety of premises, so it is likely to be widespread across the UK and beyond licenced premises visit by a Cheshire East trading standards officer has shown that open top pourers on bottled drinks seem to be increasing the risk of foreignbody contamination. During a bar inspection involving examination and testing of weights and measures equipment a number of ants were seen to be moving freely across the back-bar area, close to the inservice bottled drinks. On closer inspection of the contents of the drinks bottles, several of those fitted with modern, open-top metal pourers were found to contain dead insects. In total, the liquids in 23 bottles around a third of the stock in use in the antique-style wooden back bar and the lower, modern, metal speed-rail areas were found to have contamination issues. Bearing in mind that a close visual examination could only be effective with bottles containing relatively clear liquids, this figure did not take account of many opaque bottles, or those containing darker liquids. The premises management said that, before the officers visit, they had no knowledge or awareness of the issue, and they were helpful and responsive in taking corrective action at the time. They reported that, as a preventative measure, staff covered the exposed bottles or those using open-top pourers with clingfilm at the close of business each night. They also stated that the open-top pourers were generally only used on the faster-selling products, for speed of service. Initially, the bar areas antique wooden construction led the inspector and house management to assume cracks in the material which may have contained fragments of dirt and debris plus regular spillages, may have contributed to this being an isolated issue, especially as it was during the summer season, when pest activity can increase. So, after taking advice from the environmental health team, it was recommended that the management be advised to review the premises cleaning regimes and pest-control procedures. A voluntary disposal of the affected products was done, under the supervision of the inspector and with the agreement of the bars management. Interestingly, some of the opened bottles for which the original lids rather than a dispensing pourer were being used, were also found to have contamination, possibly from being left uncovered at ExtRaORDINaRY RESULtS some point. The management was advised to check all inInsect contamination of bottles at the initial premises service bottles on site, even if investigated was thought, at first, to be a unique and isolated this meant temporarily sieving incident perhaps one in which the bar simply needed to improve specific areas of its food-safety management system. the contents of the remaining However, when specific attention was subsequently paid to less transparent liquids into open-top pourers when inspecting similar premises across the a suitable container. area, the results were extraordinary. Advice was given to the With the exception of one newly opened premises, every one of business to consider the best around 30 bars visited over the next couple of months that used options for protecting the open-top pourers had the same issue. bottles and eliminating the risk At all of these premises, similar enforcement action was taken, of insect contamination. If including observation and recording of voluntary disposal. it wanted to continue to The average number of bottles affected was between five and use open-top pourers, 10 at each bar, but there was nothing specific about the type then rubber caps or pourers of drinks susceptible to contamination. Alongside the expected sugary-style honeyed whiskeys, for example, spirits such as gin incorporating a flip lid could and vodka and many others with little odour or taste were be sourced. also contaminated. After the inspection, the officer shared relevant information about the contamination issue with colleagues in trading standards and environmental health at Cheshire East, as well as adding an entry to the Memex intelligence system. guidance and written warnings issued Two wasps found in a bottle of vermouth at a golf club All premises where issues were found were given advice and guidance to deal with the problems. Where relevant, and in addition to the voluntary corrective actions, written warnings were issued and revisits undertaken. Interestingly, almost all of the premises inspected stated that they were not aware of this issue. There has been a dramatic increase in the use of open-top pouring equipment at licenced premises, either for free pouring directly or in conjunction with legally approved measures. This equipment looks stylish and more contemporary than the familiar, wall-mounted, chamber-style instruments commonly known as optics, or the metal thimbles that allow predetermined quantities to be measured. However, what needs to be recognised and understood is that some of these new methods for delivering liquids can, unless suitably protected, offer unrestricted access to insects. Liquid delivery methods Apparent evaporation of alcohol in drinks when using this style of pourer has also been reported especially when bottles are left for extended periods of time in certain conditions so this issue also needs to be considered. Trading standards teams are now monitoring the situation in Cheshire East, as are environmental health teams during their food-safety visits. However, the authority is also keen to ensure that information to warn others is spread widely, including by sharing across a number of regulatory networks and organisations. Cheshire East felt it was important to bring this subject to the attention of CTSI readers, as the issue is not likely to be isolated within this area. It was found at a variety of premises, so it is likely to be widespread across the UK and beyond. With the exception of one newly opened premises, every one of around 30 bars visited over the next couple of months that used open-top pourers had the same issue SHOCkED INSPECtORS DIStURBINg FIND During a trading standards visit to a local golf-club bar, it was found that only one open-top pourer was in use, on a darkcoloured spirit drink. When the inspector tried to examine the bottle by holding it up to the light to see through the glass, it was not apparent whether there were any issues. However, when a sieve and a pint glass were used to empty the contents, the inspector and the bar manager were shocked to be confronted by two dead wasps. How long the bottle had been contaminated with the insects was anyones guess. For more information about this issue from the author and lead inspector, contactJay Moran, chartered trading standards practitioner at Cheshire East Council. Credits Jay Moran is a senior trading standards officer at Cheshire East Borough Council. Images: iStock/melindafawver iStock/antagain To share this page, in the toolbar click on You might also like Going back to our roots May 2017