Urgent warning after Lancashire restaurant mis-sells dairy-free burgers
They were fined almost £12,000
Last updated 14 hours ago
A Preston restaurant and its director have been fined nearly £12,000 after burgers sold as 'dairy-free' had traces of milk in.
Tests showed the burgers at Coco's Soul Food in Preston contained milk protein on two separate occasions.
Ebrahim Paruk, age 51, director of Coconut (NW) Ltd, which operates the restaurant, admitted food safety offences at Lancaster Magistrates' Court.
The restaurant were caught firstly in November 2023.
An undercover Trading Standards officer, who said they had a milk allergy, was served a burger later found to contain milk at a potentially harmful level.
The business was given a warning and guidance on allergen controls.
In February 2024, undercover officers returned to check standards.
During the visit, director Ebrahim Paruk confirmed the meals were dairy-free, but tests again found milk protein in the food.
Trading Standards said the issue was likely caused by a switch from standard burger buns to brioche buns, which contain milk, without allergen information being properly updated.
The company (Coconut NW Ltd) was fined £6,500, ordered to pay a £2,600 victim surcharge and £1,800.81 in costs. Mr Paruk was fined £650 and ordered to pay a £260 victim surcharge.
The total penalty was just under £12,000.
County Councillor Joshua Roberts said: “People with food allergies rely on businesses to provide accurate information and take proper care when preparing food.
“In this case, a simple change in ingredients led to unsafe food being served, despite a previous warning.
"Failure to keep allergen information up to date and ensuring staff understand the risks could put customers at risk, and even potentially kill someone with a dairy allergy."