A CHINESE takeaway in Coventry selling a ‘nut free’ meal found to contain nuts has been fined £20,000.
The discovery was made in November 2018 during a routine sampling survey by Council Trading Standards Officers when visiting Wok Express, Station Street West, Coventry.
Tests by trading standards food analysts revealed the Mongolian Crispy Lamb dish contained 14 times more peanut protein than the threshold needed to cause a reaction in the most sensitive 1 per cent of peanut allergy sufferers.
Company director Mrs Ronglan You, 42, together with her husband, Mr Shu Yong Huang, 47, who operated the food business, were convicted at Coventry Magistrates on January 22 2020 following an investigation.
Not only did the investigation find dishes claiming to be ‘nut free’ dishes contain nuts but the premises to be dirty.
A visit to the takeaway by Environmental Health Officers found the kitchen to be in a dirty condition. Previous advice to clean the kitchen and its utensils had been ignored. It was concluded that cross contamination was the most likely reason for the presence of nut protein.
The company, Station Wall Limited, pleaded guilty and received the fine of £20,000. It was also ordered to pay £1081.17 costs, plus a victim surcharge of £170.
Mr Huang was fined a further £384 with a victim surcharge of £38 and also ordered to pay £1726 prosecution costs for the dirty kitchen.
Recent tragic national news stories have revealed the consumption of allergens by affected people can have serious consequences.
In 2018 two takeaway workers were jailed for the manslaughter of 15-year-old teenager, Megan Lee, in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, who died after eating one of their meals. Megan Lee, who was diagnosed with a peanut allergy at the age of eight, suffered an allergic reaction after eating food she and a friend had ordered online from the Royal Spice Takeaway on December 30 2016.
All food sold must be described correctly and a food business must be able to give customers accurate information about 14 prescribed allergens that it contains.
Selling any food that is mis-described or unsafe is a criminal offence and is taken seriously as reflected by the fine issued in this case.
Coventry Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers regularly visit restaurants and takeaways to give advice about allergens and the care that needs to be taken to ensure adequate separation of ingredients during storage, preparation and display to prevent cross contamination.
If consumers have any concern about the accuracy of a food description, they can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040 506.
