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Cadbury fined £1m over Salmonella outbreak

16/07/2007

Confectionary maker Cadbury has been fined £1 million after a salmonella scare last summer which left more than 40 people ill and caused the recall of more than a million chocolate bars.

The company pleaded guilty last month to breaching food and hygiene regulations in relation to the incident after Birmingham city council and Hereford council claimed "unsafe" chocolate bars had been sold in shops.

Nick Lowe, food safety team leader at Birmingham city council, said that the council is "very satisfied" with today's fine.

"We felt the judge properly recognised the seriousness of the offences," he added. "We believe it sends the message out that [a breakdown in standards] is unacceptable."

Cadbury has apologised for last summer's incident, which was caused by a leaking pipe, and for failing to notify the appropriate authorities of the health scare.

The company has since spent more than £20 million in the UK on "rigorous" new safety control measures.

It estimates that the product recall cost the company up to £35 million in sales revenue and wiped as much as £10 million off its profits for 2006.


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