Sydney-based Khukuri Nepali Restaurant and its operator, YDR Hospitality Group Pty Ltd, along with director Jwalanta Khatiwoda, have been convicted and fined a total of $37,500 by the Burwood Local Court over serious food safety breaches linked to a Salmonella outbreak.
The court heard that the Campsie restaurant faced 12 charges under the NSW Food Act 2003 relating to poor hygiene, pest control failures, and the sale of unsafe food connected to a Salmonella Reading outbreak in 2023.
The investigation began after multiple customers reported becoming ill after dining at the restaurant. Compliance officers from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development inspected the premises and allegedly found unhygienic conditions including dirty floors and kitchen surfaces, rodent droppings, uncovered food, and inadequate sanitising practices.
Authorities later issued a Prohibition Order forcing the restaurant to stop trading after NSW Health linked the venue to a cluster of Salmonella Reading infections.
Food and surface samples collected from the kitchen reportedly tested positive for Salmonella Reading, including two cooked menu items intended to be served cold. Genomic sequencing further confirmed links between the restaurant samples and the NSW Health outbreak cluster.
Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Food Authority, Andrew Davies, said while most food businesses in NSW comply with food safety standards, authorities would continue taking strong action against businesses that put public health at risk.
“Consumers have the right to be confident the food they buy and eat is safe and has been produced and prepared in a clean and sanitary environment,” he said.
