Meat cutting plant to pay £62k for hygiene failings

The facility has been prosecuted for six breaches of hygiene regulations, which took place in 2019.

At a hearing on 2 November 2020, Bristol Magistrates’ Court ordered the business to pay a £53,000 fine, plus costs of £9,425 and a £181 victim surcharge.

Elite Poultry Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to apply ID marks, breaching temperature requirements and re-using cardboard boxes for the storage of meat.

Unannounced inspection​

During an unannounced inspection on 24 April 2019, FSA officials found poultry meat in bags which were due to be transported from the plant without ID marks, some of which was in reused cardboard boxes. A separate visit on 3 October 2019 also detected meat in the cutting plant above the legal minimum temperature.

The company had received previous warnings in January 2019 for failing to apply health marks and re-using carboard boxes as well as a further warning in August 2019 for temperature breaches. The business was served Remedial Action Notices, which required the business to take immediate action to comply with regulations, as a further warning.

Simon Tunnicliffe, head of field operations at the Food Standards Agency, said: “We take all breaches of hygiene regulations seriously. We always aim to work with a business to help them resolve issues first where possible. However, where a business fails to uphold acceptable food hygiene standards, we will take action and look to prosecute to protect public health."

In a separate case Birmingham Halal Abattoir Limited admitted responsibility for hygiene offences and was ordered to pay £11,000 by a judge at Birmingham Magistrates' Court​ ​at a hearing on 20 March 2020. The business pleaded guilty to multiple offences of failing to prevent cross-contamination between carcases before their post-mortem inspection between March and April 2019.