NSW Food Authority has fined Sydney company Tek Shing Trading A$48,400 and professional costs of A$17,034 after its director pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Food Act 2003 in the Downing Centre Local Court.
Kingsgrove company’s imported Hot Pot Sauces failed to comply with the the recall process which was required by the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code.
The English translated labels failed to identify all the ingredients in sauces which made it difficult for a consumer to identify the allergens present in the food.
NSW Food Authority officers responded to a consumer who reported that his child, who suffers from peanut allergy, had an allergic reaction after consuming a Hot Pot Sauce. The product didn’t have peanuts listed as an ingredient in English on the label. Magistrate Grogan fined Tek Shing Trading. NSW Food Authority CEO Dr Lisa Szabo welcomed the outcome.
“Food allergies are on the rise and one in ten babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. That statistic alone shows how important this issue is for the entire community,” Dr Szabo said. “While food allergies can range from being merely unpleasant and inconvenient, sadly in the worst cases they can be fatal.”
Dr Szabo said the law requires food businesses to have a recall plan and apply it when necessary.
“We demand a high level of food safety is upheld across the food supply chain because it serves as an important protection measure of public health. Consumers deserve to have confidence in knowing the food they purchase is safe to eat and will cause no harm to them or their family,” added Szabo.
In NSW, all food businesses are required to provide information on its labels allergens, gluten and sulphites in food.
