A food importer and distributor based in West London has been fined for failing to carry out essential safety checks on potentially hazardous food it brought into the UK. The Southall-based company failed to meet council compliance requirements and now faces penalties exceeding £9,000.

Al Noor Limited, located on Johnson Street, did not inform Suffolk port authorities about a shipment of spice mixes from Pakistan that it received in May 2022. By failing to declare the shipment, the spices bypassed necessary safety inspections. Ealing Council also reported that the company had "intentionally" obstructed authorized officers conducting compliance checks.

At Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Friday, January 3, Al Noor Ltd and its director, Ahmed Akhlaq of Parlaunt Road, Slough, admitted to the unauthorized removal of goods and failing to comply with an official notice. The court ordered Al Noor Ltd to pay a total of £9,424 in fines, victim surcharges, and costs, while Mr. Akhlaq was personally fined £3,285 for his involvement in the offenses.

The court was told that the 2022 shipment contained various spice mixes from Pakistan, classified as high risk due to potential contamination with aflatoxins—carcinogenic toxins linked to liver cancer, which pose severe health risks if consumed.

After the shipment was removed from Suffolk Coastal Port without undergoing required inspections, it was officially deemed an "illegally imported consignment of food" and should have been destroyed. Ealing Council's food safety team ordered the company to dispose of the products within 60 days.

However, a follow-up inspection revealed that more than half of the shipment was missing. The business was given 24 hours to locate the unaccounted goods. Days later, inspectors discovered that the missing items had been repackaged and relabeled in an attempt to disguise the illegally imported products. The contaminated food was ultimately destroyed, but only eight days after the 60-day deadline had passed.

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Cabinet Member for Decent Living, emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating: "Obstructing food safety officers is a serious offense, and the council does not take it lightly. If our officers had not intervened, the consequences for consumers could have been severe. We are pleased that the court’s ruling reflects the seriousness of the offense, and we will always seek the toughest penalties for businesses that endanger public safety."

Laurence Jarrold, a technical specialist for the Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA), welcomed the court's decision, noting: "These products were not properly declared at the UK Border and, as a result, were not assessed under the required import controls. Without Ealing Council's intervention, high-risk products could have entered the market unchecked, endangering public health. This case highlights the importance of collaboration between enforcement agencies in ensuring food safety remains a top priority."

Al Noor Ltd declined to comment when contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.