Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team have successfully prosecuted a Slough store for £3,393 after it sold out-of-date food items to an officer during a routine check.
On October 8 2007, Sabar Brothers shop on Villiers Road, sold nine items which were month(s) over their use by date.
The items were –
* 1 x 200g pack of sliced Aladin Biberli Dilim Salam bearing a use by date of 17/8/07
* 1 x 200g pack of sliced Chicken Mortadella with Olives bearing a use by date of 3/9/07
* 7 x 200g packs of sliced Chicken Mortadella with Pistachio’s bearing a use by date of 14/9/07
Ayub Hussain, a partner in the business, pleaded guilty at Maidenhead Magistrates Court on May 25 2008, to all nine offences and was fined £2,250, with a further sum of £1133.32 costs and a Victim Surcharge of £15, totalling £3393.32.
Angela Satterly, principal technical enforcement officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “This was a very successful prosecution and sends out a strong message that out-of-date food should not, in any circumstances, be sold to the public.
“The reason why most foods have a use by date is because they are microbiologically highly perishable and, if eaten after the date on the packet, could pose an immediate danger to human health.
“Foods which need labelling with use by dates are those that have to be stored at low temperatures to maintain their safety rather than their quality. They will have a short product life following manufacture, after which their consumption may present a risk of food poisoning. It is an offence to sell a food past its use by date.”
Commissioner for Slough health and wellbeing, Cllr Chrissy Small, added: “It’s a very serious situation when a shop sells out-of-date food to customers. I’m only glad in this instance that it was sold to a trading standards officer and not someone who was going to consume it.
“Well done to the trading standards team. Hopefully this fine will stop the shop from selling similar items again.”
Slough Borough Council
