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A food distribution company has been fined $30,000 for knowingly supplying salmonella-infected tahini (sesame seed paste).
Shefco NZ Ltd pleaded guilty in Auckland District Court today for offences dating back more than four years.
The court was told the case dated back to September 2003 following an outbreak of salmonellosis.
During routine testing for the source of the outbreak, contaminated product was found on Shefco's premises.
The affected stock was held while the company negotiated with the supplier in Lebanon but despite this some of the tahini was distributed.
Ultimately the stock was destroyed,
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) compliance and investigation director Geoff Allen today welcomed the fine, saying people who operated a food business had a responsibility to ensure their product was safe.
"We are very pleased that the courts have taken a strong line in regard to the reckless behaviour we have seen in this case," he said.
- NZPA
