Food firm faces safety breach charges

A COMPANY operating an African and Asian supermarket in Antrim has been charged with a dozen breaches of food safety regulations.

A prosecuting lawyer confirmed to District Judge Nigel Broderick that a ‘summons server’ had served papers in relation to the case against Native African Asian Foods Ltd.

The company, based at Greystone Shopping Centre, faces 12 charges of breaching food safety regulations between 29 January and 22 July 2025.

Native African Asian Foods Ltd are charged with five counts of failing to provide information to environmental health officers, three charges of failing to provide traceability details in addition to single counts of placing unsafe food on the market, failing to identify a food supplier, falsely representing the nature and substance of a food item and failing to implement and maintain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedures.

None of the alleged facts surrounding the charges were opened in court on Monday but the particulars of the offences disclose allegations the defendant company:

* placed food on the market which was unsafe insofar as the food was deemed to be injurious to health and unfit for human consumption;

* failed to provide details of traceability relating to 284 kgs of sheep meat, identified as 'smokies’;

* failed to identify who supplied the 284 kgs of sheep meat;

* failed to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure based on the HACCP Principles;

* failed to provide details of traceability relating to chicken gizzard;

* failed to provide details of traceability relating to assorted meat (Beef);

* intentionally obstructed Environmental Health Officers by providing false invoices on the traceability of the chicken gizzards and assorted meat;

* intentionally obstructed officers by tampering or removing 13 tubs of cultured milk;

* intentionally obstructed officers by opening and removing two bags of chicken gizzard and eight bags of assorted meat;

* sold or offered for sale food, namely Cultured Milk, “the presentation of which was likely to mislead as to the nature or substance or quality of the food.”

As there was no appearance by either the defendant company or a solicitor on their behalf, Judge Broderick advised the PPS to send a court adjournment notice to the defendant.

He adjourned the case to 25 February.