The investigation – carried out by Newport City Council in December 2013 – found that large quantities of turkeys defrosting outside in dirty water in the yard of Severnside Provisions at Leeway Industrial Estate. The turkeys were processed in a garage in unhygienic conditions.
Director Anthony O’Sullivan and manager Martin Lincoln were warned in 2010 that turkey processing was not permitted by their company because it lacked the necessary hygienic production facilities.
During the 2013 investigation, products at the site were seized and destroyed. Some turkey products had already been sold to restaurants and butchers’ shops nationwide, resulting in the Food Standards Agency issuing a recall on December 23 2013.
The two men pleaded guilty to selling food that was unsafe as well as 11 other breaches of food hygiene laws last week.
Ordered to pay £272,815
After the hearing at Newport Crown Court on June 17, the company was fined £100,000. O’Sullivan was ordered to pay £272,815, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and the council’s costs of £35,185.
The prosecution was called a “satisfactory conclusion” by Newport council’s cabinet member for regulatory functions Bob Poole.
“This company was putting people’s health at serious risk for the sake of profit,” said Poole.
“I know that the majority of food producers and sellers have extremely high standards. I’m sure they share our dismay at firms who don’t take the same care.”
‘Share our dismay’
Meanwhile, a Somerset dairy producer was ordered to pay £6,787 on April 20 and slammed for running a “shoddy operation”, after her cheese was shown to consistently contain harmful bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E.coli.
Frances Wood was fined a total of £787 for the two offences and £6,000 in prosecution costs was awarded to Mendip District Council at Yeovil Magistrates’ Court. She had pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing.