Supermarket giant Asda has implemented a major operational change across all its stores after being fined over half a million pounds for selling expired food products. The retailer was ordered to pay £507,767 following a prosecution by Barnsley Trading Standards, which uncovered significant breaches of food safety regulations.
Substantial Fine for Multiple Offences
Asda admitted guilt to five separate offences under the Food Safety Act last month after inspectors discovered 41 out-of-date products still available for purchase at the company's Old Mill Lane store in Barnsley. The expired items included various food products such as hummus, pizza, and curry, with some items found to be a staggering 16 days past their official use-by dates.
Systemic Changes Implemented
In response to the serious breach, Asda has now introduced a comprehensive new date code checking process that will be implemented in every single Asda store nationwide. This represents a significant overhaul of their stock management procedures designed to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.
The supermarket chain expressed disappointment in a public statement, acknowledging that the discovery of expired products at their Barnsley store in 2024 fell short of both customer expectations and their own internal standards. A company spokesperson elaborated on the changes, confirming that the new checking system has been specifically designed to ensure customers always have access to the freshest possible products.
Legal Distinctions and Enforcement
It is important to understand the legal distinctions surrounding food dates. While it is strictly illegal for retailers to sell any food products beyond their use-by dates, products past their best-before dates may still be sold legally if they remain of satisfactory quality. However, this distinction does not apply to use-by dates, which relate directly to food safety concerns.
Barnsley Trading Standards officials emphasized the seriousness of the offences, noting that despite previous warnings to the store, expired products continued to be available during multiple inspections. The collective expiry period of all discovered products amounted to nearly 700 days beyond their permitted sale dates.
Clear Message from Authorities
A Barnsley Trading Standards spokesperson highlighted that while Asda has made improvements since the offences occurred—including implementing the new checking system, retraining staff, and increasing audit frequency—the substantial fine of approximately £100,000 per offence sends an unambiguous message about the consequences of non-compliance.
Barnsley Council's public health spokesperson, Councillor Wendy Cain, reinforced this position, stating that the council takes its responsibility for community safety extremely seriously. She emphasized that businesses of all sizes must adhere to food safety legislation, and that significant enforcement action will always be taken when public health is potentially compromised.
The implementation of Asda's new checking system represents a proactive response to a serious regulatory breach, though authorities maintain that the substantial financial penalty serves as a powerful deterrent against future violations of food safety standards.
