A COTSWOLD meat manufacturer has been fined £5,000 for poor food hygiene standards, including keeping vacuum packed meat for more than 10 days.

Simple Suppers Ltd, trading as the Cotswold Farmer and based in Ebrington near Chipping Campden, was charged at Stroud Magistrates Court on April 13 for a “serious breach of a food regulation”.

The company pleaded guilty to “failing to implement adequate food safety procedures”, including the failure checking to ensure good stock rotation and that the firm was also keeping vacuum packed foods for more than 10 days.

The court heard that such lax practices could lead to the growth of clostridium botulinum which can cause botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. 

Representatives of Cotswold District Council (CDC) explained to the Magistrates Court that there was a long history of previous enforcement issues involving the company. 

The court levied a fine of £5,000 - the maximum for breaching a food regulation - along with £500 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

After the hearing Amanda Morgan, public protection manager at CDC, said: “Officers have had no alternative but to prosecute this company. They must act when a food business repeatedly fails to comply with the law, and the gravity of the offence is reflected in the fine awarded by the Magistrates.”