Corner shop owner pleads guilty after trying to sell sausage 155 days past its sell by date

A corner shop owner has pleaded guilty to selling out of date food to customers - including a sausage that was 155 days past its use by date.

Shopkeeper Karim Mohammed Omer Jaf, 36, was also found to be stocking beef 35 days past its expiry date and garlic sauce 49 days out of date.

The Local Mini Market owner pleaded guilty this week to a number of food hygiene charges while he ran the Bradford-based shop.

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Trading Standards caught out the shopkeeper during a routine inspection back in October 2021 that led to some stomach-churning discoveries.

During their investigation of the former Thornton Lane shop, officers found a Dunareu Delicatete pork sausage that was 155 days past its use by date of 5 May and Tarczynski Beef that was 35 days past its sell by date of 2 September.

Jaf was charged with four counts of failing to comply with EU laws over food safety and hygiene before his court appearance.

Bradford Council prosecuted the case on behalf of Trading Standards.

Commenting on the nauseating case, prosecutor Harjit Ryatt, branded the shopkeeper's products potentially harmful to human health.

"During their visit Trading Standards officers found a number of products that had been displayed for sale that were beyond their use by date," Ryatt stated.

“Use by dates are very important, especially with products deemed to be highly perishable. Products sold after that date are deemed to be potentially harmful to human health.

“Legislation on this issue is very strict - any food for sale past its use by date can lead to enforcement."

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Meanwhile, defence Mo Hussain argued that whether or not out of date food is safe to be consumed is a topic of huge debate.

"We had a discussion in my house recently about how long after the use by date was fine for us to eat a tin of beans," he explained.

“The problem is that some products sold outside the use by date can be more dangerous than others."

Addressing Jaf, chair of the bench Alison Roberts, said: “We understand this was a very difficult time for you, but at the end of the day the risk to the public by these products being out of date is significant, particularly the meat products.

“One sausage was 155 days out of date – that is a very long period of time.”

Jaf was fined £207 by Magistrates’ and ordered to pay a contribution towards the costs of bringing the case of £640 and a £34 surcharge.

It was the second time in the past 12 months that Jaf had appeared before the court.

Last July, the former shopkeeper appeared at Bradford Crown Court after Trading Standards found a stash of counterfeit cigarettes worth £28,000 at his store in January 2021.