Welsh convenience retailer CK Foodstores has been selling meat and poultry almost two weeks out of date in some instances, an undercover investigation has revealed.
The retailer had sold or displayed almost 50 items past their use-by date at a number of CK Foodstores over the course of a year, found an investigation by ITV Wales and S4C’s flagship Welsh language current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar.
Almost half of the 24 CK Foodstores visited were selling products past their use-by date, Y Byd ar Bedwar claimed earlier this week.
One gammon product on sale at a store in Swansea last month was 13 days out of date. The team also bought a bag of gammon misshapes from a CK store in Narberth that was 10 days out of date, the programme showed – part of a slew of similar examples of alleged food hygiene rule breaches shown in the programme.
CK has more than 30 stores across south and west Wales and is owned by entrepreneur Christopher Kiley.
The retailer had a “history of breaching food safety standards” over the past 15 years, the programme reported, with its latest conviction coming in 2020 when it was ordered to pay almost £30,000 for selling out-of-date food and displaying food deemed to be unsafe in two of its Swansea stores.
It carries Nisa Local branding on some of its stores due to a supply partnership with the symbol group. However, there was no suggestion Nisa Local had been selling out-of-date food, the S4C programme stressed – a position that was reinforced by a spokeswoman for Nisa when approached by The Grocer this week.
Responding to the investigation, Nathan Barnhouse, director of the FSA in Wales, told Y Byd ar Bedwar it was “an offence to sell something past its use-by date, and shops shouldn’t be doing this”.
In a statement to The Grocer following the programme’s airing, Barnhouse added the FSA “takes reports of meat being sold past its use-by date seriously”.
“We are clear that it is the responsibility of food businesses to ensure the food they sell is safe and what it says it is,” he said.
“We have asked Y Byd ar Bedwar to share the information they have with us and the relevant local authorities so we can make an assessment. We will then determine what action may need to be taken to ensure consumers continue to be protected.”
A CK spokesman referred to a statement sent to Y Byd ar Bedwar when approached by The Grocer this week.
It said: “CK’s values all of its customers and the communities in which it operates.
“In recognition of its commitment to its customers, CK will continue to monitor and improve on its policies and procedures to ensure that its customers continue to receive quality items at reasonable prices.”
CK did not respond directly to the allegations of selling products past their use by dates. However, the spokesman told The Grocer further comment should be expected from the business over the coming days.
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