By Lucy John
Copyright dailypost
A popular Welsh butcher has been convicted of selling out of date food. Director of Craig’s Meat Shack, Merthyr Tydfil, Craig Wall, pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to the sale of unsafe food.
Environmental health officers from Merthyr Tydfil council visited the premises at Unit 10, The Quad, Trago Mills, Swansea Road and made the discovery. Officers found “numerous” food products for sale in display freezers which has passed their use by date, while investigating the complaint.
According to the council Mr Wall was unable to provide evidence that the food was frozen before the use by date. As a result, more than hundred food products were voluntarily surrendered and taken from the premises by the officers. It is illegal to sell items that are past their “use by” date, as opposed to their “best before” date, reports WalesOnline.
The council’s environmental health manager said: “Without the environmental health officers’ intervention, out of date food could have unknowingly been consumed by customers and potentially result in them having a foodborne illness.
“Robust stock rotation systems are vital in all food businesses to ensure that foods are not sold beyond their ‘use by’ date to protect public health.
“I hope this prosecution will send a clear message to any organisation selling food that the wellbeing of the public must be at the heart of what they do. High standards need to be maintained, and the law abided by.”
The company was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay £854.85 costs and a victim surcharge of £1,400, making a sum total of £5,754.85.
WalesOnline previously spoke to Mr Wall in 2021 when he had been trading from his mobile butcher truck in the car park of Trago Mills for three years. At the time the business was named Mark and Craig’s Butchers.
Speaking in July 2021 he described how the council had ordered him to move his business from the car park, which saw him invest more than £20,000 to continue trading at a permanent unit at the department store. Following the move he rebranded as Craig’s Meat Shack.
WalesOnline approached Mr Wall for following his conviction, but he declined to comment at this time.
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