Three Swansea restaurants have been fined thousands of pounds after investigations revealed they had served meals containing undeclared allergens to customers who had specifically warned staff about their allergies.
Trading Standards officers from Swansea Council carried out undercover sampling and inspections at Saporito Pizza and Grill House on Gower Road in Killay, Indian Street Kitchen on Walter Road in Swansea city centre, and Joyato Sushi and Grill on Salubrious Passage, off Wind Street in the city centre. In each case, staff gave false assurances about food safety, but laboratory analysis later confirmed the presence of allergens including gluten, milk and egg.
At Swansea Magistrates’ Court, all three owners admitted offences under the General Food Regulations 2004 and the Food Safety Act 1990, including placing unsafe food on the market and falsely describing menu items.
The penalties varied, but all were significant. The owner of Saporito Pizza and Grill House, Seckin Bulutoglu, was ordered to pay more than £2,000 in fines, surcharges and costs. At Indian Street Kitchen, Muminul Uddin faced a bill of over £2,300. The heaviest penalty was handed to Yanrui Yi, who runs Joyato Sushi and Grill, with fines and costs totalling close to £9,500.
Council officers said the breaches included mislabelled menu items, poor allergen management systems, and a lack of staff training.
Council: “No excuses”
Cllr Andrew Williams, Cabinet Member for Corporate Service (Performance), said the cases showed how dangerous poor allergen practices can be.
“These cases highlight the potentially fatal consequences of failing to manage allergens and provide accurate information to customers,” he said.
“All the businesses involved have no excuses, having received significant advice about staff training and the dangers associated with allergens.
“Swansea Council is committed to protecting public health and will not hesitate to take enforcement action against businesses that put consumers at risk.”
Warning to businesses and customers
The council is urging all food businesses to ensure staff are properly trained and that allergen information is accurate and up to date. Consumers are also advised to ask about allergens and, if in doubt, walk away.
Absolutely no regard for human health just rake the money in stupidity.
Fines of £2000 very insignificant when talking about public health.These wrongdoings can easily kill customers.
I ended up walking out if the Sushi place in May because they didn’t have a clue about Gluten Free food. I was going to complain to the council, but thought it was a blip as they hadnt long been opened. I did complain to the manager, but he didn’t seem bothered!