Whipps Cross Hospital has been given the lowest possible food hygiene rating of zero by the Food Standards Agency, following an inspection on 28th May.
A zero rating means urgent improvement is needed across every area assessed: food handling, the cleanliness and condition of the premises, and the management of food safety.
Inspectors flagged problems in all three. On handling, they found poor hygienic practice in the preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage of food. On the premises themselves, concerns covered layout, ventilation, hand-washing facilities and pest control.
The most serious findings related to food safety management. Inspectors found no evidence of checks in place to ensure that food sold or served was safe to eat, and were not confident that staff knew about food safety.
The trust will be sent legal notices setting out the specific issues and the deadlines for putting them right, with the possibility of fines if they are not met.
The hospital's restaurant and café are run by catering partner Elior. A Barts Health NHS Trust spokesperson said: "We expect the very highest standards from all organisations providing services on our hospital sites and are working closely with Elior to ensure improvements are made."
