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A warehouse supplying pre-packed foods to small and medium-sized shops has been fined after Trafford Council inspectors uncovered health and safety and food hygiene breaches during three visits.

Tahira Foods Ltd, which has a site at Stretford Motorway Estate, was fined £156,000 plus costs at Manchester Magistrates Court.

The court heard staff admitted climbing on pallets containing boxes of food to reach stock stored at height, after a forklift truck was banned from use.

Several varieties of pre-packed, ready-to-eat, cooked meat products, and some pre-packed, ready-to-eat, cheese was also found at room temperature, when it should have been in a fridge.

Tahira Foods Ltd, of Regents Park Road, London, was prosecuted by Trafford Council’s Environmental Health team for breaches to food safety and hygiene, and health and safety regulations, and failure to implement a food safety management system.

The Trafford site distributes food throughout the North of England and into Scotland, supplying pre-packed ambient, chilled and frozen foods.

During an inspection in February 2023, the company was found to be storing a large quantity of meat and cheese at room temperature in the warehouse, and there was no refrigeration available.

Stock was detained and the company subsequently surrendered the affected products, issuing a withdrawal notice to its customers.

Staff visited again in April 2023 and banned a forklift truck from use because it had not had a required, thorough, inspection, and was being driven by people unlicensed to do so.

A few days later, when council workers returned for a third time, staff at Tahira admitted they had been climbing on stock to get to items at height, and that ladders available for use were not safe.

In addition to the £156,000 fined, the company was also given a £2,000 surcharge and costs awarded to the Council of £14,716.88, making the total penalty against the company £172,716.88. Director of Tahira Foods, Ghias El-Yafi, attended the hearing.     

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