Asda has received a fine of £500,000 for selling expired food at one of its supermarkets in the UK. The Barnsley branch was found to have products, like hummus, that were 16 days past their sell-by date. Additionally, pizzas and curries were also discovered to be expired during an investigation conducted by the Barnsley Council Trading Standards team.

Having pleaded guilty to five offenses under the Food Safety Act, Asda was mandated to pay £507,767 in fines and costs on January 29. The supermarket has since implemented new procedures for checking product dates in all its stores.

A spokesperson from the Barnsley Trading Standards stated that despite improvements made post these offenses, including new checking systems and increased auditing, the substantial fine of £100,000 per offense serves as a clear message against non-compliance.

Cllr Wendy Cain, the public health spokesperson for Barnsley Council, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of communities by requiring businesses to only sell safe food. She further highlighted that the significant outcome of this case reinforces the priority placed on people’s health and safety.

In response to the incident, an Asda representative expressed disappointment over the presence of expired products at their Barnsley store in 2024, acknowledging that it did not meet the expected standards. The company has introduced a revised date code checking process in every Asda store to guarantee the availability of fresh products for customers.

Following the incident, grocery price inflation saw a decline to 4% in January, the lowest level since April, as reported by market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator. This marked a decrease from the 4.3% recorded in December, with Asda sales showing a 3.7% drop compared to the previous year.

A trend analysis revealed that a significant portion of shoppers sought high-protein and high-fibre food items, with sales of cottage cheese increasing by 50% year on year. Additionally, sales of fresh fruit, dried pulses, fresh fish, poultry, and chilled yoghurt experienced positive year-on-year growth.

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