Peter’s Food Service has been fined £25,000 after a plastic-coated metal detector test piece was found in a chicken and bacon slice.
The hard red object was found by a customer on March 6 last year, who then complained to Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Environmental Health department.
During the investigation, the object was found to be a metal detector test piece sticking out from the filling.
Council officers visited the Peter’s Pies factory, on Bedwas House Industrial Estate, where an audit of the company’s metal detection test procedures was carried out.
The investigation found shortfalls in the company’s procedures and instances where the procedures were not followed by staff, therefore enabling the metal detection test pack to leave the factory and enter the food chain.
The prosecution was heard at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 9.
Peters Food Service Ltd admitted one offence of placing food on the market that was unsafe contrary to Article 14(1) Regulation 178/2002 and Regulation 4(b) of the General Food Regulations 2004.
The company was ordered to pay a fine of £25,000.00, prosecution costs of £2,176.25 and £500 compensation to the complainant.
Caerphilly County Borough Council said the company co-operated from the beginning of the investigation and have since reviewed, revised and simplified its procedures.
Cllr Eluned Stenner, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Public Protection, said: “Our Environmental Health Officers conducted a thorough investigation and secured a successful outcome.
“In order to further protect consumers and public health, they also worked with the company to develop new procedures to prevent this happening again. I also acknowledge the full co-operation and assistance from the company.”
Peter’s Food Service said this was an isolated incident.
In a statement it said: “In common with standard industry practice, Peter’s inserts “metal detector test pieces” into test products to check the integrity of its metal detection equipment, and carries out between 900 and 1,000 of these checks every week.
“On February 27, 2017, it was identified that one of the products containing a test piece had not been recovered after one such test.
“A subsequent internal investigation found that Peter’s rigorous Packing Metal Detector Checks Procedure was not properly activated.
“The risk of harm from this isolated incident was low. The labelling on the product indicated that this product was a test pack. In addition, the metal test piece was of a size that it would not have caused choking. It was also distinctly coloured red.”
In February this year the company announced that up to 90 jobs were to go, blaming a squeeze on profits brought about by an increase in the cost of its ingredients.
i used to perform these checks when I worked as a tecnician, not for this firm I might add. There is very little danger from the test sample as it is obvious to anyone that it is not food and is far too large to be swallowed by mistake.
I am puzzled as to how this got out of the factory though. It is normal practise to add the sample to product marked in such a way that it is easily seen when amongst normally packaged products. It will have red and yellow stripes all over it, or something similar. If all else fails the shopworkers would not normally place this on the shelf. These workers daily check hundreds of items for package failure or sell by date. They detect nearly all of these defects too and I can’t imagine why a gaudily marked pack would not attract their attention. Very strange and I would like to know the true story behind this.
The article clearly stated that this was clearly identified as a test package – so like you,I would like to know how the purchaser didn’t notice this
An unfortunate incident, myself I’d have called Peter’s Pies and told them about it first before going bleating to Caerphilly Council, was that really necessary. If it was a local person they would know how important Peter’s Pies is to the local economy, I’m sure a phone call and a few free pies could have sorted it out without dragging it to court. What’s the matter with folk these days, they find something in a pie and want to be handsomely compensated.
Yes it’s the blame and claim culture again – but these same people will also complain when the cost of actions such as theirs force the company to increase prices in the future.
In this case it was clearly an error in the company’s process and no one’s wellbeing was endangered.
It could have been a lucky dip, never eaten one for over 20 yrs.
And will never eat one but that’s my choice. “not a Peters fan“
Don’t fancy finding something in yuck in my food.
Is this why they are laying off 90 people?
Who knows – but I’m sure it hasn’t helped the situation.