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Oldbury balti owner prosecuted for peanuts found in peanut-free food

An Oldbury balti house served a meal advertised as 'peanut-free' which contained enough of a trace to give someone with an allergy a reaction, a court has heard.

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B68 Indian Cuisine and Takeaway, in Hagley Road West. Photo: Google Maps

Reza Ul-Islam, the former director of B68 Indian Cuisine Ltd, pleaded guilty to food offences this month and was slapped with a 12-month community order.

Trading standards officers from Sandwell Council uncovered the meal at B68 Indian Cuisine and Takeaway, in Hagley Road West, in December 2017 when they were testing food served in takeaways and restaurants – to check bosses were complying with strict rules on food allergens and food labelling.

Birmingham Magistrates Court heard that tests discovered the lamb korma and rice dish, which was sold as being peanut-free, actually contained more than 40g per kg of peanuts. Experts said this would have easily been enough to cause an anaphylactic reaction – which can result in death – in someone allergic to peanuts.

Officers said it was not known how the meal became contaminated with peanut as Ul-Islam had failed to co-operate with trading standards during the investigation.

Ul-Islam, aged 26, from Birmingham, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £1,995 plus a victim surcharge of £85.

In passing sentence, magistrates said they were taking this matter very seriously because Ul-Islam had been 'playing with human life' and it was his 'lucky day' that custody was not the sentence as he had pleaded guilty and had no other offences.

Councillor Elaine Costigan, the council's cabinet member for public health and protection, said: "It is shocking to think of a business serving food to members of the public putting someone's life at risk in this way.

"We have all heard of the tragic but thankfully rare circumstances of people who have died or become seriously ill after they have eaten something without knowing it contains a substance they are allergic to.

“Our trading standards team does vital work in keeping us all safe when we’re eating out and I want to congratulate them for bringing this prosecution. I dread to think of the consequences had someone with a peanut allergy eaten this dish.”

Forty premises were visited across the Sandwell borough between September and December 2017 and found three sold meals that contained dangerous levels of peanuts. A further two meals tested contained trace levels of peanut, but not at a high enough level to cause a reaction.

Businesses are legally required to warn customers about any allergens in food.

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