Company fined $35,000 for roach problems

BRISBANE, Australia, July 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. operator of a Pizza Hut in Australia was ordered to pay $35,000 in fines and costs after a cockroach was found in a pizza, court documents indicate.

The Brisbane Magistrates Court heard inspectors uncovered "a serious and extensive" cockroach infestation at a Pizza Hut in the Brisbane suburb of Bellbowrie, the Brisbane (Australia) Sunday Mail reported.

Officials said tests revealed the roach found on the take-out meatlovers pizza was cooked alive with the pie.

The restaurant, run by U.S. food company, Yum! Restaurants, temporarily lost its license after the August raid, but reopened a month later with increased cleaning practices, the newspaper said.

The report said the company was required to fork over $5,000 in costs in addition to being penalized for admitting to violating the Food Act.

Yum! Restaurants told the Mail it was sorry for the incident.