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£3,000 penalty for selling produce falling below minimum quality standards (7 March 2017)

Date: 07/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, £3,000 penalty for selling produce falling below minimum quality standards

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has prosecuted a fresh produce retailer from Newcastle, following an investigation by Horticultural Marketing Inspectors (HMI).

Raja Mohammed Farooq Khan – owner of the Medina Food Store, based at 35 Nuns Moor Road in Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne – faced charges involving offering for sale and selling rotten fruit and vegetables which failed to meet minimum quality standards, following a six-month investigation.

A final HMI inspection conducted on 7 September 2016 found five offences in breach of the EU marketing rules for fresh produce quality and labelling, including rotten peppers and apples.

At Newcastle Magistrates Court on 27 February 2017, Khan pleaded guilty to all charges. He was ordered to pay a fine of £295, as well as £2,798 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, RPA Operations Director, Alison Johnson, said:

“Concerted efforts were made by HMI to work closely with the business through face-to-face meetings, verbal warnings and formal written notices – all aimed at achieving improved compliance from the business. Unfortunately, such advice is not always heeded – and when all other options have been exhausted, we will resort to the use of criminal sanction to bring about a required change in behaviour.”

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