A food company that produces pork scratchings has been fined after a Salmonella outbreak was linked to their products.
Tayto Group Limited, one of the largest crisp and snack manufacturers in the UK, produce “Mr Porky” pork scratchings at their site on Wingates Industrial Estate in Westhoughton.
They were fined £153,000 at a Bolton Crown Court hearing on Thursday December 4.
The company also had to pay a £190 victim surcharge and £309,136.09 costs.
More than 500 Salmonella cases were linked to the contaminated product with people falling ill between 2021 and 2023.
Tayto accepted that before remedial works took place the food safety system and procedures at the Westhoughton site fell short of the standard required, particularly as the use of pressure washers and the drain beneath the factory that flowed from the raw area to the cooked area, gave rise to a risk of contamination of the final product.
Bolton Council’s environmental health team first became aware of the outbreak in July 2021 when they were contacted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Tayto Group Limited immediately closed the factory to carry out a deep clean and several remedial works. They also undertook a widespread recall of all products manufactured at the plant with best before dates up to February 2022.
The factory subsequently re-opened with agreement from environmental health officers in September 2021 after further extensive sampling showed the product was safe to consume. Sampling and monitoring visits were undertaken over several months to ensure that improved standards were being maintained, and the product was safe.
Lynn Donkin, Director of Public Health at Bolton Council said:
“Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can cause food poisoning. Foods such as eggs, chicken, pork and dairy produce can carry salmonella.
“It’s important that anyone preparing food should make sure that they wash their hands and clean equipment thoroughly to prevent the spread of salmonella.”
Cllr Richard Silvester, Bolton Council Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory and Environmental Services, said:
“It’s important food manufacturers and anyone in the food industry is stringent against organisms like salmonella.
“Anyone who compromises food safety and hygiene processes needs to be held to account.
“This was a long and complex investigation by environmental health officers from Bolton Council, and I thank them for their hard work in protecting public health and ensuring this company was held to account.”