Tesco fined for selling out-of-date food in Bracknell branch
The supermarket chain Tesco has been fined by Trading Standards after one of its stores was caught selling more than 120 food items that were past their sell-by date.
The charges against Tesco were brought after a shopper complained to Bracknell Forest Council that her teenage daughter had fallen ill after eating a chargrilled chicken pasta salad bought from the supermarket’s Martins Heron branch.
On a visit to the store in June 2010, Trading Standards officers found a total of 127 food items on the shelves that were past their sell-by date. These included a chocolate cheesecake, ham, beefburgers and even an item from the Tesco Finest range that was 16 days out of date.
In Bracknell Magistrates Court recently, Tesco admitted fifteen charges of selling out-of-date food. The company was fined £12,000 plus a £15 victim surcharge and a huge £15,000 in legal costs. A spokesperson for Tesco explained that the company had now strengthened its food safety training programme for staff, saying:
“We have strict processes in place in all our stores. We have reinforced staff training at our Bracknell store to ensure these procedures are followed.”