Dozens of out-of-date food items found on Bradford store shelves

A MAN has been ordered by a court to pay more than £2,000 after dozens of refrigerated food items in his shop, including meat, were found to be past their use-by date.

Ballen Mohammad Zarar was the manager of the Euro Market on Great Horton Road at the time of two inspections by food standards officers in late 2022.

During these two inspections, officers found 70 food products on the shelves that were past their legal use-by date.

An item was 17 days out of date.

Zarar, of Roundwood Avenue, appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, pleading guilty to two counts of failing to comply with EU food safety regulations.

He is no longer involved in the business.

It was the second time Zarar appeared in court in recent years over food safety issues.

In November 2022, he was convicted after admitting a number of food safety charges related to an inspection the previous year in which moldy meat and items up to 51 days past their use-by date were found on sale At the shop.

Thursday’s court appearance referred to inspections on October 11, 2022 and November 14, 2022.

Magistrates were told the store had a “poor record” in terms of food hygiene and during the visit in October council officers found 41 refrigerated food items past their use-by date.

An item was 17 days out of date.

Ballen Mohammad Zarar leaves the field on Thursday (Image: Newsquest)

The store was reviewed on November 14, with every food item in the store checked.

Twenty-four refrigerated food products were found to be expired, the oldest being 12 days past their use-by date.

The court heard Zarar was sentenced for the 2021 charges in the same month. He was fined £1,107 and ordered to pay £3,265 in costs and a £111 surcharge.

Mr Ali, defending Zarar as he appeared to respond to the more recent allegations, said: “The defendant believes this prosecution is unfair.”

He questioned why the charges were not all linked in one prosecution, pointing out that the first prosecution took place after the two inspections that led to Thursday’s sentencing.

Mr Ali said Zarar had since left the food business and had no intention of returning.

He described the previous fine as “crippling” and said: “It bankrupted him.”

Zarar currently earns £70 a week as a carer.

He would willingly sign a notice preventing him from running a food business in the future, magistrates were told.

Magistrates fined Zarar £320 and ordered him to pay costs of £1,745 and a surcharge of £128.