UK poultry farmer gets hefty fine in food fraud case

A poultry farmer in the UK has been fined more than £50,000 after pleading guilty to falsifying Salmonella testing certificates, potentially putting the health of the public at risk.

Stuart Perkins (38) of SG Perkins Ltd in Radstock, Somerset, was fined at Bath Magistrates Court after the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Avon and Somerset police, Environmental Health and Trading Standards executed a search warrant at a poultry farm and abattoir last November.

According to the FSA, the raid uncovered "evidence of traceability concerns and that Perkins had falsified Salmonella testing certificates," meaning that birds had been slaughtered for the food chain without proof they were free from disease.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency supported the investigations, monitoring the welfare of the poultry on site and collecting official Salmonella samples. An alert was also issued to industry by the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) to ask food businesses to check the traceability of their suppliers.

"We welcome this substantial fine as it shows the serious nature of faking documents and jeopardising food safety," commented NFCU head Andrew Quinn.

"This should act as a deterrent to anyone considering taking dangerous short cuts and breaching food safety and hygiene law."

Perkins and SG Perkins Ltd was sentenced to a fine of £5000 for each FSA offence, £3500 for each local authority offence, costs amounting to £21,810.75, plus a victim surcharge of £2000, which came to a total of £50,830.75.