Syston Firm Fined After Distribution Of Contaminated Spices

Specialist illness lawyers, who recently secured justice for more than 40 people affected by food poisoning linked to a food festival in 2013, have welcomed the prosecution of a wholesaler who provided contaminated spices to companies across the UK.

Syston-based company, Catermix, were fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs after they pleaded guilty to food safety charges following an investigation by Charnwood Borough Council, which found that the company was mixing spices in the back of a van and storing them in a damp garage.

The investigation was launched after a further local authority identified Salmonella bacteria in spices supplied to a Preston company and the problems led the Food Standards Agency to issue a recall on all items containing the mix – with one company withdrawing 6,000 products in total.

News of the prosecution has been welcomed by specialist Public Health lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who secured a settlement of over £400,000 for those affected by illness problems linked to the Street Spice festival, held in Newcastle in 2013. Individual settlements ranged from £1,200 to £29,000 depending upon the severity and impact of the individual’s illness.  In that case, the issues were linked to raw curry leaves.

Amandeep Dhillon, Partner and Head of Public Health at Irwin Mitchell who represented those affected by the food festival outbreak, said: 

Expert Opinion

“There are clear hygiene guidelines in place when it comes to the handling and production of food products, with the specific aim of ensuring that no contaminated goods are used during the preparation process.

“As our experience in numerous cases including the Street Spice festival shows, the failure to adhere to such guidelines can have significant consequences and leave a huge number of people at risk of very serious illness.

“With this in mind, it is welcome to see news of this prosecution and that steps are taken in general to ensure that the public do not consume potentially contaminated products. An incident of this kind is simply unacceptable and it is vital that lessons are learned, which aim to ensure that this kind of issue is prevented in the future.” Amandeep Dhillon - Partner