Questions raised over Auckland councillors receiving freebies from Eden Park and major changes are being proposed to electorates in the lower North Island. Video / NZ Herald, Getty
A Hawke’s Bay pizza store has come under fire after a person photographed metal trays – used to cook pizza – being stored metres away from an open toilet.
Domino’s Pizza said the equipment had been “non-operational” for years, but acknowledged it “should not have been stored where it was” in the first place.
New Zealand Food Safety is looking into the incident after it came to light on social media.
Taking to a community Facebook page, a person anonymously shared a photo inside a bathroom in the Domino’s Pizza building on Napier’s Carlyle Street.
Singling out the pizza franchise, the person wrote “All their pizza trays in the toilet/bathroom. DISGUSTING,” alongside a vomit emoji.
The image shows kitchen equipment, including dozens of black-and-blue pizza trays, heavily stacked in boxes and on top of buckets in the corner by the bathroom door.
Metres away from the store’s cooking equipment sit the typical bathroom residents – a toilet, toilet paper dispenser, and grab rail – while the tiled floor appears grubby and lightly littered.
Staff at Domino's Pizza Napier City stored old pizza trays in a non-public bathroom in the store building.
Health and safety regulations in New Zealand, such as the Food Act 2014, stipulate that all food and kitchen equipment must be kept clean and stored in a dry, hygienic place until its next use.
When approached by the Herald, Domino’s confirmed the trays were inappropriately stored in a bathroom used solely by the building’s tenants.
It said the trays had now been disposed of.
“Following a review at our Napier store, we can confirm the equipment in question was non-operational, as this range was discontinued from our menu years ago,” Domino’s said.
“We take our responsibility as a food business seriously and will continue to focus on delivering high-quality food and service to our customers across New Zealand‚" it added, noting that the brand is “committed to maintaining high food safety standards through regular audits and inspections”.
Domino's said the brand is "committed to maintaining high food safety standards through regular audits and inspections”. Photo / Getty Images
People who saw the Facebook post, which has since been deleted, were shocked by the image, with many calling for the Ministry of Health and Napier City Council to get involved.
“Hope someone contacts health department. The whole room looks disgusting,” wrote one person.
“OMG even if the toilet isn’t used, that room looks feral,” wrote another person.
A Napier City Council spokeswoman told the Herald the matter was being “led by MPI [the Ministry for Primary Industries]”.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said it was aware of the reported issue “around improper storage of food equipment” and was “looking into it”.
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
