Asda has been fined £500,000 after selling out-of-date food at its Barnsley store, including hummus 16 days past its sell-by date. The supermarket pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Safety Act and was ordered to pay £507,767 in fines and costs on January 29.
An investigation by Barnsley Council Trading Standards found expired pizzas and curries alongside the hummus. Asda has since introduced a new date code checking process across all its stores to prevent recurrence.
A Barnsley Trading Standards spokesperson said the £100,000 fine per offence sends a clear message that non-compliance never pays. Councillor Wendy Cain emphasised the council's commitment to public safety.
An Asda spokesperson expressed disappointment, acknowledging the incident fell short of customer expectations. The retailer has retrained staff and increased auditing at the Barnsley branch.
The fine comes as Asda sales dropped 3.7% year-on-year, with grocery price inflation easing to 4% in January, the lowest since April, according to Worldpanel by Numerator.
