Following an investigation into food safety risks at Tampa-area sushi bars, a Gold Coast sushi bar (that’s in Australia), has been fined $15,000 for letting room-temperature sushi ride the train for hours.

Eddie’s Crazy Fish Sushi Bar on Ferry Road at Southport was caught out by Gold Coast City Council health inspectors and charged with failing to properly store and serve sushi.

Inspectors warned restaurant owner Eddie Murillo twice in early 2011 to abide by Food Safety Act regulations but an impromptu inspection in August 2011 found numerous breaches.

Today the Southport Magistrates Court heard the business did not keep track of how long prepared sushi had been left sitting out on work benches and the sushi train itself before it was discarded.

Inspectors also found the sushi bar had dirty storage containers, utensils and work areas and did not provide handwashing soap for employees.

A follow up visit in April this year revealed the only action taken since August was to clean a dirty dishrack.

Gold Coast City Council lawyer Nick Hatcher said there were no allegations of food poisoning and health officers had only tested the food for temperatures, not bacteria.