Egg seller fined for extending best before dates
Ziya Gorur pleaded not guilty at the District Judge at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court, UK, in January, but was found guilty on all four charges.
He was fined £2,515 (£500 per offence plus £500 court costs and £15 surcharge) under the Eggs and Chicks (England) Regulations 2009.
When Gorur was inspected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) egg marketing inspectors they found eggs at two stalls at New Spitalfields Market, Leyton, had been falsely dated.
Batches were found to be individually marked on the shell with 25 April, despite the eggs having been re-packed with a label showing a best before date of 8 or 10 May.
Egg marketing inspectors also issued two compliance notices to Gorur regarding two batches of eggs downgraded for failing to meet class A quality standards.
Tim Platt, APHA lead inspector, said: “Consumers rely on honest egg marketing to ensure that the eggs they buy are fresh and safe to eat. This case should serve as a warning and reminder that APHA enforces egg marketing legislation robustly and that deliberate transgressions result in tough sanctions for those not willing to comply.”
