Food safety breach costs baker £6k

The prosecution was initiated by Belfast City Council after it received a complaint that a young child had suffered an anaphylactic reaction after eating an Empire biscuit, a product from Nevis Bakery, in April last year (2018). The child, who was allergic to eggs, was hospitalised as a result of the adverse effects of eating the product.

The Inverness-shire bakery pleaded guilty to failing to provide information on an allergic ingredient, namely eggs, on the packaging of its Empire biscuits.

Pleaded guilty​

Nevis also pleaded guilty to placing food (the same biscuit) that was deemed unsafe and considered injurious to health to a specific category of consumers on the market. The producer was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.

Food Standards Scotland recalled the biscuits because they contained egg not mentioned on the label on 5 April 2018. Nevis Bakery has since reissued Empire biscuits with the correct allergen information and ingredients clearly listed on the packaging.

Recalls on the rise ​

Meanwhile, recalls of unsafe food products in the UK have jumped by 40%, driven by rising concerns over poorly-labelled items causing allergy-related deaths.

Research conducted by law firm RPC found that the number of recalls rose from 145 to 203 in the 12 months to 31 October 2018​​. More than half (110) of these food recalls were specifically related to allergy risks, up 31% from 84 in the prior year.

The spotlight was shone on allergy-risk ingredients last year. The tragic case of a 15-year-old girl, who died after consuming sesame seeds in a Pret A Manger baguette​​, sparked debates over whether food made fresh on the premises should have potentially allergenic ingredients listed on the product.