BRADFORD SHOPKEEPER IN COURT
Monday 6 February
On Thursday 2nd February 2023 at Bradford Magistrates Court, Omer Mohammed Karim Jaf was fined £207, ordered to pay a contribution towards the prosecution costs of £640 and a £34 surcharge having pleaded guilty to offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
Officers from West Yorkshire Trading Standards conducted a routine inspection at Local Mini Market, 75 Thornton Lane, Bradford, BD5 9DN, a shop run by Mr Jaf on 7th October 2021, and discovered 12 items of food past the use by date, the items of food collectively were 336 days past the use by date. The food items consisted of a sausage that was 155 days past the use by date, garlic sauce 49 days past the use by date and beef that was 35 days past the use by date. Mr Jaf did not wish to be interviewed under caution by Trading Standards, in relation to the systems in place to prevent out of date food being offered sale.
David Strover, Trading Standards Manager - Business Services Team said “Businesses are reminded to ensure that they undertake regular checks on items bearing use by dates, invest in appropriate staff training and recording methods. Use by dates are placed on foods which are considered from a microbiological view, to be highly perishable and are therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health. Trading Standards will continue to take action against any businesses flouting the law.”
Councillor Sue Duffy, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee which oversees the work of Trading Standards said, “The work of Trading Standards plays an important role in Food Standards. Food past the use by date cannot lawfully be sold, and retailers should make checks to ensure they do not offer for sale out of date food that is marked with a use by date. In this case, the items were significantly out of date and clearly should not have been offered for sale by the food business operator.”
Consumers can report the sale of out-of-date “use by” foods to Trading Standards, by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.