The BBC has been embroiled in a food hygiene crisis after health risks were discovered in its staff canteens, including a “red mess” in one of the kitchens.
Legal demands were issued to fix some of the problems immediately so that the cafes could continue serving food and drinks to staff and BBC stars including Alex Jones, Tess Daly and Gary Lineker.
Local authorities inspected food outlets at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House in London and Media City in Salford, Manchester.
Now, documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal a stomach-churning catalogue of complaints.
At a canteen in Salford, home to major BBC programmes such as Match of the Day, inspectors found food in the kitchen that had passed its sell-by date the previous year.
Local authorities inspected food outlets at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House in London, above, and at Media City in Salford, Manchester.
Legal demands were issued to fix some of the problems immediately so that the cafes could continue serving food and drinks to BBC staff and stars, including Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly.
At a canteen in Salford, home to major BBC programmes including Gary Lineker’s Match of the Day, inspectors found food in the kitchen that had passed its sell-by date in the previous year.
There was also no soap near the sinks, making it impossible for food preparation staff to wash their hands properly.
The News Café dining room at Broadcasting House was deemed non-compliant due to the cleanliness of its sinks and dishwashers, which had “a build-up of red slime and were in need of a deep clean”.
There were more violations related to cleaning due to “six months of grease buildup” that needed to be removed before service could resume.
Rules were broken when a ‘grease trap’ in the main pot-washing area was not working and a deep clean of kitchen shelves was ordered.
Food had been left exposed to warm temperatures for longer than food hygiene regulations allow and kitchen equipment also needed a thorough cleaning.
The report also found there was not enough freezer space to store food and the kitchen had been plagued in the past by fruit flies, which can carry unhygienic bacteria.
The two dining rooms at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, where Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, also had a couple of minor issues that needed sorting out.
These included peeling paint that needed to be rectified so a backsplash could be properly cleaned and a crumbling ceiling in a warehouse.
Local authorities are responsible for inspecting businesses and enforcing food hygiene laws.
They can take action if they feel food hygiene standards are not good enough, from demanding that problems be fixed to closing the establishment or even starting criminal proceedings.
Inspections are carried out at intervals of up to five years, but are often more frequent.
The reports published by MailOnline correspond to the most recent inspections at the three BBC locations for 2020 and 2022.
The food in BBC staff canteens has a bad reputation and has provided fodder for stars such as Ronnie Corbett, Peter Sellers, Terry Wogan and Les Dawson.
In 1954, Sellers joked on the Goon programme: “Lunch is now being served in the BBC canteen. There are doctors waiting.”
Problems were also found in the dining rooms at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, where Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, which needed to be fixed.
Legendary BBC world affairs editor John Simpson also recently joked on X: “A meal I had recently at a cheap roadside restaurant in Khartoum was better than the BBC canteen.”
And BBC producer Kevin Core also posted about a tuna mayo sandwich that was “so bad” that “the guy made it knowing it was really hard (and) rancid. Outrageous.”
News presenter Rich Preston also humorously claimed that the depiction of the BBC offices in Scoop, the drama about the Prince Andrew interview, was “complete nonsense” because it showed “a wide and healthy selection of food”.
Writer Bethany Black called the dining hall food “the worst I’ve ever eaten,” adding: “A can of diced tomatoes with a diced mushroom is not bolognese sauce, and adding bell pepper doesn’t make it chili.”
BBC director Rob Jones posted a photograph of a bowl of bright red “soup” he had been served, calling it “horrible”.
Radio 4 news presenter Chris Berrow joked last year: “Given that National Avocado Day has been so heavily publicised at the BBC Canteen, I am distressed to discover that this year, once again, not a single item on the menu contains avocado.”
BBC News service editor Allie Hodgkins-Brown complained that it cost her £1.50 to scrape butter and Marmite off two slices of bread she had brought with her.
Although the BBC has been asked for reports on food hygiene in its canteens, the company has refused to provide them. MailOnline has obtained them from local authorities at each of the BBC’s offices.
At a canteen in Salford, home to major BBC programmes including Match of the Day, inspectors found food in the kitchen that had passed its sell-by date in the previous year.
Birmingham City Council said it was unable to provide the BBC mailbox inspection report in the West Midlands because it had been lost.
A BBC spokesman said all issues raised by inspectors had been addressed, adding: “They have achieved the highest food hygiene rating of five stars. They are routinely inspected and if any issues arise they are rectified quickly.”
This comes after viewers of BBC cooking show Saturday Kitchen were horrified by food hygiene standards on display last month.
Chef Tong Chee Hwee was invited to serve the “best Peking duck in town.”
He was seen using a tea towel to dry a raw duck after spraying it with water, before placing the “infected” towel on a work surface and then using it to dry his hands.
The BBC has also previously had a problem with mice at New Broadcasting House.
Building managers sent an email to all staff telling them to expect to see baited traps placed throughout newsrooms.
The memo said: “We should not be expected to tolerate them just because we are in the centre of London.”
The problem was blamed on the size of holes drilled into the wiring ducts, which staff were told would be plugged.