Bakery retailers are among dozens of food businesses that have been named and shamed in a safe food practice audit.

Brisbane City Council issued more than $620,000 worth of fines in its annual EatSafe audit to both franchises and independently-owned businesses.

One bakery retailer in the city’s south-east was fined $14,000 for failures in food service, cleanliness, maintenance and the presence of animals and pests. The owners were later slapped with an additional $2000 for “failing to take all reasonable measures to ensure the corporation complied” with the Food Act.

The report revealed a number of outlets were fined tens of thousands of dollars for unhygienic practices. However, Brisbane City Council was quick to state standards were improving citywide.

“In the past five years, EatSafe has seen 1782 fines issued to offending businesses, 131 businesses prosecuted and 60 licences cancelled,” Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said.

“Council continues to have a zero tolerance policy for food businesses that do not have safe food practices and immediately suspend operations until major safety issues are rectified.”