A food operator in Cornwall received a two year conditional discharge, and ordered to pay costs of £4,291, after he was found to be supplying cooked crab meat illegally.
Gary Beynon, the Food Business Operator of Cornish Finest Crab received his punishment at a hearing on 11 January 2018 at Bodmin Magistrates Court.
In May 2017, Cornwall Council Food Officers discovered that several businesses were being supplied with cooked crab meat in the St Austell and Charlestown area. Subsequent investigations established that Mr Beynon had been illegally operating a crab processing business for a number of years, without the required food approval to do so. He had also failed to put in place a documented food safety management system, to undertake formal food training, to carry out microbiological sampling on the product and to correctly label the product.
Mr Beynon pleaded guilty to six offences including illegally operating a crab processing business without the required approval. In sentencing, the Magistrates commented that they failed to understand how someone wouldn’t know that they needed to be registered or approved as a food business, particularly when dealing with a high risk product such as crab meat.
Nick Kelly, Cornwall Council Food and Health & Safety Health Manager, said: “This case highlights the seriousness of someone operating a food business without the legally required approval to do so. I would encourage anyone setting up a food business, particularly one handling high risk food, to contact our Business Regulatory Support team at the outset in order that we can provide the necessary advice. This will help ensure the operation and food product is to a satisfactory and safe standard”.