Asda slapped with six-figure fine for selling more than 100 out-of-date foods

One of Britain’s biggest grocers has been hit with a £657,115 fine after selling more than 100 out-of-date items in Wales.

Members of the public began complaining about the expired food after visiting stores on Lekwith Road, Canton, and Pentwyn, both in Wales.

Some of the sales were of high-risk items like meat and dairy, Cardiff Magistrates Court heard.

The oldest item found in the shop was seven days past its best-before date, and months after initial complaints, six expired items were found on store shelves.

Over a four-month period, 115 out-of-date food items were found, raising serious concerns about food safety.

Selling food past the use-by date is illegal in the UK, regardless of whether the food is in good condition or not.

Ian McDonald, representing Asda, told the court the supermarket chain took matters of food safety seriously, and said since the complaints, Asda had implemented a new system for monitoring out-of-date food.

He told the court that the consultation process cost £1,000,000, and the initial training of 105,000 members of staff cost over £600,000, with no issues since the new system was brought in.

Judge Charlotte Murphy said she accepted that Asda had systems in place but said they weren’t sufficient, and the complaints were not isolated incidents.

She did rule that there was a ‘low risk’ of adverse effects to the general public, but fined Asda £160,000 for each offence, which was a breach of the General Food Regulations 2004, coming to £640,000.

The sum, with court charges, brought the total to £657,115, and Asda was ordered to pay the sum within 28 days.

Cllr Norma Mackie, council cabinet member with responsibility for Shared Regulatory Services at Cardiff Council, said consumers should be confident that food in shops is safe to eat.

‘In this case, Asda fell significantly short of the required standards expected. The systems that they had in place were clearly inadequate, and we hope that Asda has now taken the necessary steps to rectify these failings to ensure that such incidents do not occur again,’ she added.

It’s not the first brush-up with authorities Asda has had. In April this year, Asda was fined £410,000 after two of its Cornwall stores were found to be selling out-of-date food.

In October last year, the supermarket was fined £250,000 for selling food past its use by date, including some by six months, in stores in Derby.

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