Supermarket Chain Faces Legal Action Over Outdated Products

  • Asda fined £410k for selling out-of-date food
  • Two supermarkets in Cornwall found with expired items
  • 62 food items past their use-by date
  • Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Team conducted inspections
  • Ready-to-eat foods, including children’s yoghurts, were sold beyond their use-by dates

Asda has been fined £410,000 after being caught selling expired food products at two of its supermarkets in Cornwall. An investigation by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Team discovered 58 expired items on October 30, 2023 and four more at a Hayle store on November 1, 2023. Asda admitted to offering unsafe food for sale during a Plymouth Magistrates’ Court hearing. The fine also includes £20,582.70 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge. Cornwall Council emphasized that use-by dates are crucial for perishable foods to avoid health risks.

Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and relevant information about Asda being fined for selling expired food products in two of its stores. It includes details about the number of expired items found, the actions taken by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Team, and the fine imposed on Asda Stores Ltd. However, it contains some minor grammatical errors and a reference to a future date (30 October 2023) which is not possible, as well as an unrelated sentence about Sainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts at the end of the article.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about Asda being fined for selling expired food products and includes details of the incident, but it lacks in-depth analysis or exploration of the consequences of such actions on consumers and the industry. It also does not offer any actionable insights or solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses fines imposed on Asda for selling expired food products, which could impact the company’s reputation and potentially lead to financial losses due to customer trust. However, it does not directly affect financial markets.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Minor
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text, and the mentioned issue of selling expired food products has a minor impact as it involves fines and some health concerns but does not meet the criteria for any other categories.

Reported publicly: www.retailgazette.co.uk