A food importer and distributor has been fined after failing to ensure essential safety checks on potentially toxic foods it brought into the country.
Last month, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard that Southall-based Al Noor Ltd failed to notify port authorities in Suffolk about a shipment of spice mixes from Pakistan it received in May 2022. In the absence of a proper declaration, it did not undergo the necessary checks.
The court heard that Al Noor Ltd, in Johnson Street, had intentionally obstructed authorised officers carrying out compliance checks. The company and its director Ahmed Akhlaq, of Parlaunt Road, Slough, pleaded guilty to the unauthorised removal of goods, and failing to comply with an official notice.
Al Noor Ltd was ordered to pay a fine, victim surcharge, and costs totalling £9,424, while Mr Akhlaq was ordered to pay a total of £3,285, for the 2 offences, at the court hearing on 3 January.
High risk of contamination
The magistrates heard that the shipment contained various spice mixes from Pakistan, classified as high risk because of potential contamination with aflatoxins – carcinogens linked to liver cancer, which are commonly associated with such products. Ingesting aflatoxins can be poisonous and life threatening.
As a result, shipments containing these imported spices must be sampled, and importers are required to notify ports of any incoming shipments. Al Noor Ltd, which regularly imports similar goods, failed to do so.
After the shipment was removed from the port without checks taking place, it officially became an illegally imported consignment of food, and therefore should have been destroyed.
Misleading and obstructing officers
After being notified by Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority, Ealing Council’s food safety team ordered the business to destroy the products within 60 days.
During a compliance check in July 2022, officers discovered that more than half of the shipment was missing and unaccounted for. The business was given 24 hours to locate and present the entire shipment.
A follow-up inspection days later revealed that boxes had been relabelled and repacked in what was considered to be an attempt to disguise the contents.
While the products were eventually disposed of, the business only did so 8 days after the 60-day deadline had expired.
Safeguarding public health
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Obstructing food safety officers is a very serious offence and is not taken lightly by the council. The consequences for the business’ customers in this case could have been grave if council officers had not stepped in to enforce the law.
“We are pleased that the court’s fine reflects the gravity of the case. We will always seek the strongest possible punishments for companies which gamble with the public’s safety.”
Laurence Jarrold is a technical specialist for the Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA). He said: “We are pleased to see this successful prosecution. The products were not declared as required at the UK Border and therefore were not assessed by under the required import controls. Without Ealing Council’s assistance, this could have led to unchecked high-risk products with significant potential health risks being placed on the market, posing a risk to consumers.
“This is a great example of successful joint working with environmental health colleagues. This collaborative effort has successfully safeguarded UK public health, which remains our top priority.”
Find out more
For more information on food safety, visit the council website.
