Authorities have slapped a popular supermarket chain in the UK with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Investigators caught several stores with out-of-date food on the shelves.
According to a report by the BBC, two Asda stores in Cardiff were caught with dozens of expired goods for sale. The two stores are in Leckwith and Pentwyn, and trading standards officers found multiple items over two weeks out of date.
The outlet reveals that food safety officers catalogued multiple findings across four store visits in 2024. Investigators reportedly found 36 out-of-date items in the Leckwith store in January. They noted finding several spicy mayo dips that had expired a week before their visit. Officers checked the Cardiff Gate store on two separate occasions in March and April. They found 25 out-of-date items on their first visit, and 48 on their second. Investigators claim they found some items that expired 12 days prior. Finally, they inspected the Leckwith store again on May 8 and found six more out-of-date items.
A Spokesperson For Asda Supermarket Says They Now Have A New Checking Procedure
Per the Independent, a spokesperson for Asda reportedly said, “usual high standards were not upheld.” They added, “Since then, we have introduced a new date code checking process across all our stores, whereby every short-life product is checked daily so that customers can always buy the freshest products.”
During sentencing, Judge Charlotte Murphy reportedly said that the supermarket had systems for date checking. “Those systems were not sufficiently adhered to or implemented,” she ruled. Murphy then stated that the safety breaches were not minor. But there was ultimately a “low risk of an adverse effect on the general public.”
She fined the supermarket £640,000 ($857,500). The corporation must also pay £15,115 in costs and a £2,000 surcharge.
Last month, Dr Pepper recalled 19,000 cases of their drinks over a labeling mistake. The FDA said that the company initiated a “voluntary recall” after revealing the affected cans of Dr Pepper Zero actually contained regular Dr Pepper. The mislabeling may seem like a minor issue, but regular Dr Pepper cans contain 39 grams of sugar, which could pose a health risk to consumers with medical problems.
The Pepsi Beverages Company reportedly sent the affected tins to only three states: Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.