Prosecutions
Supermarket fined for ignoring staff training - Food safety news item from LRB
13/11/2009
The company behind a Sussex supermarket has received an £11,000 fine after ignoring Environmental Health Officers’ (EHO) pleas to provide staff with essential food hygiene training.
The delicatessen counter of the supermarket was found to be selling rotten food during an inspection by the local council on 25 October 2008.
The staff were not aware of basic food safety concerns and stock rotation procedures were not properly implemented.
The EHOs were also concerned about a possible risk of cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods within the hot food preparation area.
The owning company, which runs four of the supermarkets in West Sussex, was warned of the failings. EHOs conducted 10 advisory visits, specifically focusing on food safety management and stock rotation.
But a further inspection on 28 January 2009 revealed that the situation had not yet improved. The company pleaded guilty to four breaches of food hygiene legislation at Chichester magistrates’ court on 25 September 2009. It was fined £3,000 for two offences under Haccp regulations and a total of £5,000 for two offences of selling unfit food.
The staff were not aware of basic food safety concerns and stock rotation procedures were not properly implemented.
The EHOs were also concerned about a possible risk of cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods within the hot food preparation area.
The owning company, which runs four of the supermarkets in West Sussex, was warned of the failings. EHOs conducted 10 advisory visits, specifically focusing on food safety management and stock rotation.
But a further inspection on 28 January 2009 revealed that the situation had not yet improved. The company pleaded guilty to four breaches of food hygiene legislation at Chichester magistrates’ court on 25 September 2009. It was fined £3,000 for two offences under Haccp regulations and a total of £5,000 for two offences of selling unfit food.