A Hayes sandwich manufacturer has been slapped with a five-figure fine for breaching hygiene regulations.
Fresh Foods (UK) Limited, of Johnsons Industrial Estate, Silverdale Road, which produces tens of thousands of sandwiches each week for distribution for sale across the UK, was caught out by Hillingdon Council ’s Food Health and Safety team.
The sandwich manufacturer repeatedly breached hygiene regulation and was found guilty of four food hygiene offences at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday February 23.
The company was made to pay a fine of £15,220, with further costs of £5,000.
Company director, Sukhwinder Singh, was personally fined £3,300 for neglecting to maintain good systems, this included his inability to trace ingredients back to registered suppliers.
The previous owners of the sandwich manufacturing company First Choice Deli Supplies Ltd were heavily fined before a swift change of hands to Fresh Foods UK.
First Choice Deli Supplies pleaded guilty to eight breaches of food hygiene regulations on December 3, 2013 and was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £100 as a victim surcharge and £5,000 costs.
Warning to other food producers
Environmental Health officers visited Fresh Foods UK a number of times between October 2014 and April 2015, and found supervision of staff to be lacking.
The council decided to prosecute when advice to improve management systems and standards was not followed.
Fresh Foods also failed to comply with a hygiene improvement notice and were shown to have provided incorrect labelling on their packaging, which critically included a failure to identify allergens.
Cllr Jonathan Bianco , cabinet member for finance, property and business services, said: “It is paramount that the residents of Hillingdon can be safe in the knowledge that the food they buy is hygienically produced and reliably packaged.
“This guilty verdict serves as a warning to other producers in the borough to be extra vigilant, as we will find and prosecute those who are not.”
