‘Meat Cheat’ Takeaway Skewered By Council’s Trading Standards Team

Thursday, 13 October 2016 15:21

A Rochdale takeaway that failed to take action after being warned by the council's trading standards team has been found guilty of substituting meat in meals and ordered to pay more than £6,000.

Khan's Takeaway on Milnrow Road, Rochdale, was caught substituting meat in its lamb dishes during an investigation by Rochdale Borough Council.

The council's trading standards team was alerted by a customer complaint in July 2015 alleging the takeaway had supplied them with a 'lamb bhuna' meal, which contained no lamb. Written advice and guidance was provided to the restaurant.

In September last year a council officer posing as a customer visited Khan's Takeaway and ordered a 'lamb madras' meal. The meal was used as a formal sample and was later analysed as containing 100% beef.

After identifying himself, the council officer also inspected the kitchen area and found only chicken and beef in the refrigerators.

During an interview with the council Liaqat Hussain Shah, trading as Khan's Takeaway, accepted he could have put processes in place to prevent beef being mistakenly served as lamb such as; labelling the food containers or having a system to clearly segregate different species of meat.

A follow-up inspection carried out by trading standards officers in December 2015 showed that none of the advised prevention steps had been put in place.

Mr Shah was then charged with the offence of selling food which was "not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser" under the Food Safety Act (1990). He pleaded guilty to the offence at Bury & Rochdale Magistrates' Court.

After failing to prove he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence he was found guilty and order to pay a £3,000 fine and over £3,000 in costs and charges within 28 days.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, health and wellbeing, (pictured) said: "I hope that this sentence will serve as a warning that this type of irresponsible trading will not be tolerated. Consumers have a right to know that the food they are eating is what they ordered and that it's safe for consumption. We are doing a lot of work with our food outlets to make sure that the customer is always put first and that their safety and wellbeing is adequately catered for. Our food hygiene team are always on hand to advise businesses how to reach and maintain the required standards."

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