Blackpool frozen food firm fined £41,000 sold out-of-date food unfit for human consumption

Staff also changed use-by dates on food so it appeared to have a longer life span.

A court heard how Eezi Freeze Wholesale Ltd supplied hotels, school,rest home an restaurants.

It advertised more than 3,000 different frozen and chilled lines. Today the company pleaded guilty to 12 charges under the Food Hygiene Act.The company which has a warehouse on Dickies Lane, South Shore, was prosecuted by Blackpool Council in front of District Judge Jane Goodwin sitting at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

Ordering the company to pay £41,375 in fines and costs, the judge told director Chris Hardingham: "There is a chequered and protracted history to this case.

"This defendant has been as haphazard towards it as they were towards food.

“What systems were in place were inadequate. Anyone who deals with food must make food safety a priority.

"However, I accept this was not financially motivated.”

Prosecutor Michael Lavery said the firm received a caution for the state of its stock in 2011 when an infestation of pests and maggots were found.

He went on: "Further inspection followed by council inspectors.They found a vile smell,dirty conditions and broken packaging and food leakage.

Director of Eezi Freeze Chris Hardingham was in court to hear the council ask for legal costs of £17,200,

Mr Lavery added: "Food was unfit and unsafe for human consumption some of which was two years out of date.”

“Cats provided a pest control problem,there were inadequate systems for waste disposal and haphazard storage and stock control.”

Rosalind Scott-Bell, for the company, told the court: "Eezi Freeze wishes to express its regret and remorse for the state of affairs the council found.

“Matters were not being dealt with as they should have been.

"There also may have been some artistic licence on its website calling it an international business ,howeve,r the bulk of their customer are within a 20 mile radius.

“Mr Hardingham put things back into the community and has sponsored local football teams and charities.

“He has now pulled his socks up and has control over the paperwork and things are fine and safe now.

“Mr Hardingham maintains the changing of use by date was the work of one member of staff who has left the company."

The judge was told how in the latest draft accounts for Eezi Freeze the turnover was £1.6 million but the firm recorded a £33,388 loss.

The defence added:” It is in a precarious financial state with Covid having an impact. He faces a possibility of going out of business.”