Leeds retailer prosecuted for selling out-of-date food
A LEEDS retailer has been prosecuted by the authorities for knowingly selling out-of-date food.
Winston Retail, which owns convenience store and off licence Kasa near Dewsbury Road, was found guilty of selling cooked meats and dairy products beyond their use by date and not managing food safely in line with the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
A September 2015 environmental health inspection found 14 packets of cooked meats and three yogurts on sale, which should have been removed from shelves up to six days earlier. The items were marked as reduced, out-of-date stock.
Winston Retail was fined £2,200 for the two offences, ordered to pay costs of £1,515.78 and a victim surcharge of £120. The company did not attend court and has not responded to requests from environmental health offices to meet, Leeds City Council said.
Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for environmental protection and community safety, said that while this case did not involve large quantities of produce, “the rules are simple and clear”.
He said: “Use by dates are provided by producers to ensure people don’t get food poisoning. Anything that goes past those dates cannot be sold.
“If a person chooses to eat something that they have already bought which has gone past its use by date that is their choice. However, people should not be put at risk by businesses knowingly selling products that are out of date.”
While there is a growing drive to encourage shops and consumers to cut waste by ditching best before dates, which refer to the quality of food, use by dates identify high-risk foods that can cause illness when perished. It is illegal to sell items beyond their use by date.
