LEEDS SHOPKEEPER IN COURT

On Monday 4th September 2023 at Leeds Magistrates Court, Aamir Masood of BK Stores of Harehills was fined £3840, ordered to pay a contribution towards the prosecution costs of £1888.02 and a £1536 victim 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 BK Stores, 78 Harehills Road, Harehills, Leeds on 30th November 2022, and discovered 47 items of food past the use by date. The items of food collectively were 2,772 days past the use by date. The food items consisted of five packs of sliced chicken that were each 104 days past the use by date, a further nine packs of sliced chicken each 90 days past the use by date, thee packs of sliced beef that were each  97 days past the use by date, 4 packs of turkey rashers that were each 90 days past the use by date and five packs of sliced turkey that were each 83 days past the use by date.

Mr Masood responded to an interview under caution letter by Trading Standards where he outlined that his suppliers had failed to come and replace his out-of-date food and that date code checks were carried out once a week.

David Strover, Trading Standards Manager - Business Services Team said “Businesses must ensure that they undertake regular date checks on items bearing use by dates, they must invest in appropriate staff training and recording methods to ensure these checks are performed.  It is the responsibility of food retailers to ensure such checks take place. Use by dates are placed on foods which are highly perishable from a microbiological view 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 Pauleen Grahame, Member 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past the use by date cannot lawfully be sold, and retailers should make checks to ensure they do not offer for sale out of date food that is marked with a use by date. In this case, the items were significantly out of date and clearly should not have been offered for sale by the food business operator.” 

Consumers can report the sale of out-of-date “use by” foods to Trading Standards, by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on  0808 223 1133.