Egg packer fined £3,100 for mislabelling eggs

A DEFRA investigation has led to the conviction of an egg packer, who packaged “poor quality eggs” as Class A and extended the best before date on a batch of eggs.
Anthony Clarkson, of F Clarkson and Sons Ltd, Whittingham, Preston, pleaded guilty and was fined £2,100 for seven offences, plus £1,000 in court costs, on 28 February at Preston Magistrates Court.
Mr Clarkson’s company, which has been prosecuted previously for offences against the Egg Marketing Standards Regulations, was caught a second time after the Egg Marketing Inspectorate carried out routine inspections between July – September 2006.
Richard Jones, deputy chief egg marketing inspector, said after the case: “Consumers should only receive accurately labelled and fresh eggs. The Inspectorate takes formal action like this when such significant breaches occur so that consumers really do receive what it says on the label”.
Fines
£300 for each of the four charges of marketing poor quality eggs as Class A
£300 for extending the best before date on one of these batches
£300 for each of the two charges for mislabelling some of the eggs