Owner of egg packing business fined £15,000 for hygiene breaches

The owner of an egg packing business has been ordered to pay almost £15,000 in fines and court costs for failing to comply with food hygiene regulations.

Officers from Cornwall Council’s Environmental Heath team discovered filthy conditions at Rosedown Eggs, Bodmin, during an inspection on March 20, 2024.

They found evidence of rodent activity and eggs being laid in dirty conditions and washed in contaminated water.

Cats had also been given free access to the main egg packing area and had defecated in several places.

Officers said there was “a clear failure” to implement systems to ensure safe food was produced and there was a lack procedures to carry out an effective withdrawal of eggs already on the market.

Due to the conditions, the business was served with a remedial action notice which formally required it to be closed until improvements to food hygiene and safety standards could be implemented. Eggs that were on the market were also requested to be withdrawn. This notice remained in place for almost two weeks.

At Bodmin Magistrates’ Court, Rosedown Eggs owner David Hewitt pleaded guilty to four food hygiene offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.

In mitigation, the court heard that Hewitt had a previously good history of compliance and that the business had promptly been brought back into compliance and has remained as such since April 2024.

Hewitt was fined £5,672 and ordered to pay the council’s court costs of £7,226 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Cornwall Council, food, safety and port health group leader Nick Kelly said: “Food safety officers always try and work with business owners informally, advising and signposting where necessary to ensure they comply with the law.

“When food safety officers come across non-compliant businesses in conditions such as this, they will take the necessary action to protect public health.”