Salmonella outbreak lands Tayto Group with £153K fine

Almost 600 people across the UK became ill after eating pork scratchings made at the factory on Great Bank Road in Wingates. Among those impacted was a Cardiff resident, Ruanda Davis (64), who has spoken about her June 2021 ordeal for the first time in a statement issued through her lawyer. Davis fell seriously ill after consuming what we now know was a contaminated pack of Mr Porky pork scratchings, manufactured at the Tayto Group factory in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The severe symptoms experienced by Davis were exacerbated by her disability and impaired mobility. She subsequently fell when trying to get out of bed and suffered a head injury before an ambulance was called. “The night I fell ill was terrifying - I was alone, struggling to get out of bed because of my disability, and ended up injuring myself, which is how my daughter found me before being rushed to hospital ," Davis commented. She required hospitalisation for five days, where she received intravenous fluids to treat dehydration. Tests would later confirm that Davis was one of 179 people to reportedly become ill after consuming Mr Porky products. A recall was issued in 2021. “Even now, years on from my ordeal, I’m still a lot more careful about what I eat. I wouldn’t want anyone else to have gone through what I have,” Davis added. Sheffield-based law firm Irwin Mitchell has now been able to secure a out-of-court settlement worth more than £300,000 in a group action brought against Tayto Group. Nadhia Akthar, expert public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchel said: “This case highlights the devastating impact that contaminated food can have on individuals and families. “Bacterial illnesses such as salmonella can often lead to ongoing and long-lasting health problems, and even death. That’s why their severity should never be downplayed. “Nothing will make up for what they’ve been through, but we’re pleased to have secured settlements that will help our clients access ongoing support they need. “However, we also hope today’s criminal sentencing acts as a stark reminder of the need for food manufacturers to uphold rigorous safety standards and the consequences hygiene failings can have on the public.” Bolton Council has also fined the company £153,000. The outbreak was found to have originated from a number of issues within the factory, including a failure to effectively separate areas where raw and cooked meat was stored. A spokesperson for Tayto Group said: “Tayto Group accepts the court’s decision regarding the incident at our Bolton factory in August 2021. “We take this matter extremely seriously and apologise sincerely for the harm caused to those who were affected.” They added: “The safety of our customers is our highest priority and we regret that we fell short on this occasion. “Once made aware of the issue, we voluntarily ceased production and initiated a full product recall of all products manufactured at our Bolton site.”