A food production company has been ordered to pay nearly £17,000 after a man discovered a dead mouse in a loaf of bread while making sandwiches for his children. Stephen Forse, from Kidlington, Oxfordshire, had already used some slices when he came across the mouse.
Mr Forse purchased the loaf online through a Tesco branch in Bicester in January 2009. He said he noticed 'a dark-coloured object embedded in the corner of three or four slices' and initially thought it was a mixing fault. He continued to prepare sandwiches from another loaf but felt too ill to eat.
Cherwell District Council environmental health officers identified the object as a mouse minus its tail. Premier Foods, which owns Hovis, Branston and Bisto, admitted failing to maintain acceptable standards at its British Bakeries site in London. The company was fined £5,500 and ordered to pay £11,109.47 in costs at Oxford Crown Court.
A Premier Foods spokesman apologised 'profusely' for the distress caused, stating that production at the site was halted and an independent investigation confirmed it was an isolated incident. The council agreed the bakery was well-managed and that Premier Foods took hygiene obligations seriously.
