January 22, 2020 10.49 am This story is over 49 months old

Festering meat weeks beyond use by date found in Cleethorpes shop

The fridge was stocked with rotting meat

A Cleethorpes shop owner was fined over £800 for stocking dangerous out of date food. Stomach-churning discoveries included bacon which was 17 days past its use by date.

North East Lincolnshire Council prosecuted Kanageswaran Balendran, 31, of Collingdon Avenue, Birmingham, after a routine inspection carried out on July 16, 2019 by a Trading Standards officer at Broughton News on Oxford Street in Cleethorpes.

Six items were found in the chiller past their use by dates during the inspection. In total, the following items exceeded their ‘use by’ date by 48 days:

  • Wolds Edge Ham x 1 – seven days past use by date
  • John Turners Pork Chipolatas x 1 – six days past use by date
  • John Turners Lincolnshire Pork Sausages x 1 – six days past use by date
  • Cole Valley Rindless Back Bacon x 1 – 17 days past use by date
  • Cole Valley Smoked Back Bacon x 1 – three days past use by date
  • Florette mixed leafs x 1 – nine days past use by indication

Pork chipolatas found to be six days past their use by date. Photo: North East Lincolnshire Council

Balendran appeared before Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 17.

He pleaded guilty to all matters relating to Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013 and was ordered to pay a total of £834.

Out of date bacon was also found during the inspection in Cleethorpes. Photo: North East Lincolnshire Council

Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “Our Trading Standards officers work hard to ensure the public’s safety and also give food business operators the direction and information they need to comply with food safety legislation.

“Food products that are given a ‘use by’ indication are done so as they are highly perishable items and consuming them after the date indicated may make someone seriously ill or worse. We need to protect consumers from businesses who flout the law and put people’s health at risk.”