Nevis Bakery Limited, based in Inverness-shire has been fined £6,000 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to failing to provide information on an allergenic ingredient – namely eggs – on its Empire biscuits.
The firm also admitted to putting the biscuits that were deemed unsafe and considered injurious to health to a specific category of consumers on the market. They were also ordered to pay over £3,000 legal costs.
Stephen Bingham’s four-year-old son Joshua was hospitalised with anaphylactic shock after having an Empire Biscuit made by Nevis Bakery Limited, at a cafe in Belfast.
Mr Bingham and his wife examined the label of the Empire biscuit before allowing their son to have it. However, the product contained egg which had not been listed on the ingredients and is something Joshua is allergic to.
Mrs Bingham administered his Epipen and the family called for an ambulance. Mr Bingham said that Joshua would have died if the family had not had the device with them.
Mr Bingham told the BBC he feared the worst for his son and his confidence in food labelling had been undermined.
He said that companies must take note of legislation and understand the seriousness of what they are putting into their products in order to avoid potential tragedies.
Food Standards Scotland announced that Nevis Bakery recalled Empire Biscuits because they contained egg not mentioned on the label on 5 April 2018.
No other Nevis Bakery products were known to be affected.
The company has since reissued Empire Biscuits with the correct allergen information and ingredients clearly listed on the packaging.
