A Leeds fresh produce retailer has been ordered to pay £7,100 after displaying and offering to sell sub-standard goods.

Estafik Ahmed Din, director of retailer Eastern Foods (Harehills) Limited, pleaded guilty to a total of 21 separate breaches of European Community marketing standards for fresh produce quality and labelling on 26 January 2011 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

DEFRA brought the prosecution against the firm trading at Harehills Road, Leeds for displaying and offering for sale: Conference pears, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, nashi pears, leeks, parsnips, aubergines, and rhubarb of sub-standard quality.

In addition, onions, mangoes, sweet peppers, Chinese cabbage, calabrese, spring greens, guava, cabbage, garlic, mushrooms, leeks, aubergines, tindori, chow chow, beetroot and gourd, were all found with labelling defects.

As a result of these breaches, Estafik Ahmed Din and the company were fined a total of £1,620. The prosecution was also awarded full costs of £5,490, giving a total liability of £7,110.

The prosecution followed a series of risk-based enforcement visits and inspections, carried out by the Rural Payment Agency’s Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) over a two and a half year period, between October 2008 and April 2010.

During this time, Inspectors provided initial advice and guidance which led to more targeted enforcement visits.

The Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate said in a statement: “Concerted efforts were made… to work closely with the firm’s sales staff and management; with face-to-face meetings, verbal warnings and the issue of formal written notices, all aimed at achieving improved compliance from the company.

“In passing sentence, the chair of the magistrates indicated that he took into account the defendant’s guilty plea and his personal financial circumstances. The court also recognised the ‘traffic light’ risk assessment adopted by RPA’s Horticultural Marketing Inspectors, resulting in a number of visits being made, advice offered and warnings issued.”

Eastern Foods (Harehills) Limited is an independent medium-sized general grocery store located in a prominent position on Harehills Road in Leeds.