Takeaway fined for 'lamb' curry which was actually more than half beef

Pasta & Papadums in Briton Ferry was brought before the courts

A takeaway business has been fined after selling a lamb curry which was mostly made up of beef.

Trading standards officers sampling takeaway meals ordered a lamb curry from Pasta & Papadums, of Neath Road in Briton Ferry, in December 2018, which on analysis was found to be mainly beef, with a lamb content of between 10% and 50%

In interview, the owner of the business Balakrishna Reddy Garadannagari blamed his suppliers for the mix-up, but could not provide written records for tracing the product back to his supplier.

Garadannagari, who lived above the business, appeared at Swansea Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to one offence under the Food Safety Act, of selling food not of the nature demanded and one offence of failing to provide traceability information.

He was fined £400, and ordered to pay £825 costs and a £40 victim surcharge.

The court was told the business ceased trading during the investigation.

A Neath Port Talbot Council’s trading standards team spokesman said: “Over the last four years year the Trading Standards section has successfully prosecuted a further four takeaways in the County Borough for the same offence.

“The cost of lamb has risen and has become expensive in comparison with other meat.

"Unscrupulous traders buy the cheaper meat, and try to pass it off as the more expensive products.

"Food fraud of this kind means that the nefarious trader gets an unfair advantage over their competitors whilst at the same time ripping off consumers.”

If you have any information on any food standards or trading standards issue, please call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 for the information to be relayed to Trading Standards.