A fruit and veg seller was fined £1000 for selling inedible bruised apples in his Tyne and Wear shop.
Marc Farnsworth, owner of M Farnsworth, in Jarrow, was caught stocking apples described by investigators as being “so badly bruised they should not be eaten, let alone placed for sale.”
He was convicted at Sunderland Magistrates Court on June 11, following an investigation by the Rural Payments Agency’s Horticultural Marketing Inspectors (HMI). Farnsworth was also ordered to pay the pay full investigation costs of £2,826, prosecution costs of £620, and a £100 Victims Surcharge - making a total penalty awarded of £4,546.
Mark Buckle, regional manager for HMI, said: “On visiting the store our inspectors found apples that were so badly bruised they should not be eaten – let alone placed for sale. Repeated attempts were made to engage the store’s owner in addressing the issues, but he failed to take action and it was necessary to progress this through the courts.
“We will do all we can to ensure unsatisfactory produce is kept off the market. The fine received here should serve as a warning to others that if they are not labelling products correctly, or selling fruit and veg that is of an unacceptable quality then action will be taken against them.”
The HMI are responsible for enforcing EU quality standards for fresh produce across England and Wales. They have reiterated that the standards will remain in place after Britain leaves the European Union.
