Out-of-Date Food Found on Shelves: Asda Fined £410,000 After Cornwall Council Probe

Asda pleads guilty to food safety offences at Penryn and Hayle stores

Asda Stores Ltd has been fined £410,000 after an investigation found dozens of out-of-date food items being sold at two of its supermarkets in Cornwall.

The case was brought by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team, following multiple consumer complaints and a wider investigation into food safety practices at supermarkets across the county.

Nearly Four Weeks Out of Date

Officers from the Trading Standards team inspected Asda’s Penryn store on 30th October 2023, where they discovered 58 food items being displayed for sale past their use-by date. Several of these were products aimed at children, including ready-to-eat items such as yoghurts, some of which were nearly four weeks out of date.

Just two days later, on 1st November 2023, a further four items past their use-by date were found on shelves at Asda’s Hayle branch.

Under food safety laws, any food sold after its use-by date is deemed legally unsafe. Use-by dates are applied to highly perishable foods and consuming them after this point can pose a serious health risk.

📷Images show food past its use-by-date for sale at Asda stores in Cornwall

Guilty Plea at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court

On Wednesday 23rd April 2025, Asda Stores Ltd pleaded guilty to two charges of offering unsafe food for sale under regulation 19 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. The case, which referred to a total of 62 items, was heard at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court before District Judge Jo Matson.

Judge Matson said that although Asda had systems in place to prevent this kind of breach, they were not followed. She also noted that the steps taken after concerns were raised were not sufficient.

Asda was ordered to pay:

• A fine of £410,000

• Prosecution costs of £20,582.70

• A victim surcharge of £2,000

Cornwall Council Responds

Jane Tomlinson, Trading Standards Group Leader at Cornwall Council, said:

“We are committed to ensuring that the food sold to consumers is safe and it is disappointing that on these occasions, we found items for sale which could have presented a danger to the public.

“Consumers should be confident that the food they buy is safe to eat. We hope that the steps Asda Stores Ltd have now put in place will prevent the sale of out-of-date food in future.”

Asda Responds

In a statement, an Asda spokesperson said:

“The safety of our customers is always our top priority, and we regret that out-of-date products were found on sale at two of our Cornwall stores during October and November 2023. Since these instances, we have implemented a new date code checking process in all stores, ensuring that every short life product is checked daily.”

A company spokesperson also added that:

• While Asda recognises the high safety and quality standards it has in place were not followed in these instances, the case relates to just two stores out of the 1,000 it operates across the UK.
• These cases occurred more than two years ago, and the date code checking process in place at that time is different from the one currently used.

Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team continues to monitor food safety standards across the county to ensure businesses comply with the law and public health is protected.

📷Images show food past its use-by-date for sale at Asda stores in Cornwall