Meat cutting plant fined for obstructing Food Safety Inspectors

On 10th May 2019 at Thames Magistrates’ Court, a meat cutting plant was fined for obstructing food safety inspectors acting in the execution of their duties, contrary to the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.

On two occasions in 2018, inspectors had been refused entry to the plant when attending to undertake unannounced inspections. The director of the company said that inspections had been taking place too frequently. (Frequency is based on previous compliance.) Later, after executing a warrant for entry, inspectors found numerous safety and hygiene deficiencies in the plant.

M Coban Ltd, based in north-east London, was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. The court said that there had been “a deliberate breach or flagrant disrespect for the law” because the company, through its director, had “deliberately obstructed officers carrying out their duties”. The conduct was placed into the ‘very high’ culpability category.

William Dean represented the Food Standards Agency.