Food firm fined pounds 8,000 for dead mouse found in tin of baked beans
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Robert Howard, of Brockley, south-east London, could not be bothered to cook his baked bean snack. He just opened the tin and tucked in. Pulling out what he thought was a piece of string, he got a shock. At the end of his fork dangled a tomato-sauce sodden mouse.
The food had been prepared by HL Foods in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, for supermarket giant Sainsbury. Mr Howard had bought the Sainsbury's own-brand baked beans in November last year at the New Cross branch in south London.
Lewisham Council charged HL Foods under the Food Safety Act. On 15 December, Greenwich magistrates fined the company, pounds 8,000.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said yesterday: "Food safety is one of our top priorities. Any foreign object found in our products is taken very seriously and as soon as we knew there was a problem we launched an investigation with HL Foods." More than 12,000 tins from the same batch have been removed from sale.
The mouse had been boiled in the tin. No one knows exactly how it got in, but since bean starch was found in its stomach during the investigation, clearly greed was its downfall.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments