Asda introduces a nationwide date code checking process across all its supermarkets following a £507,767 fine for selling out-of-date food at its Barnsley store.

Details of the Food Safety Violation

Trading Standards inspectors discovered 41 expired items on sale at the Old Mill Lane store in Barnsley, including tubs of hummus 16 days past their use-by date, pizzas, and curries. The total expiry overrun amounted to nearly 700 days. Despite prior warnings, the supermarket pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Safety Act.

Asda’s Implemented Changes

Asda es disappointment over the incident, stating: “We are disappointed that some out-of-date products were found on sale at our Barnsley store in 2024. This fell short of the standards our customers rightly expect and that we hold ourselves to.”

To prevent recurrence, the supermarket now enforces a new date code checking process in every store, ensuring the freshest products reach customers. Additional measures include retraining staff and boosting audits at the Barnsley location.

Legal Context and Penalties

Shops cannot legally sell food past its use-by date, though items beyond their best-before date remain permissible if quality holds. Each of the five offences incurred a £100,000 fine, underscoring strict enforcement.

Statements from Local Authorities

A Barnsley Trading Standards spokesperson notes: “While improvements have been made since these offences, including a new checking system, retraining and increased auditing in the store, the sizeable £100,000 fine per offence sends a clear message that non-compliance never pays.”

Barnsley Council’s public health spokesperson, Cllr Wendy Cain, adds: “We’re committed to keeping our communities safe, a responsibility we take very seriously. We expect businesses of all sizes to only sell safe food, and this significant result sends a clear message that we will always put people’s health and safety first, taking action where businesses fail to comply with legislation or respond to warnings.”