THE owners of a Leyland bakery have been been fined following an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in the area.

Derek Grimshaw, Kathleen Grimshaw and Emma Brigg, proprietors of Parkinsons of Leyland, appeared before South Ribble Magistrates Court on April 29.

They pleaded guilty to an offence under the Food Safety Act 1990. The offence was selling food unfit for human consumption, in this case a vanilla confectionary product, on August 28, 1998. The proprietors were fined £200 each and paid costs of £1,200.

South Ribble Borough Council's environmental health officers became aware of a link between the vanilla cakes and the two incidents of food poisoning, one in the Chorley area and one affecting a South Ribble family. Environmental Health Officers checked the premises and declared a salmonella outbreak.

Investigations by the officers, with the full co-operation of the proprietors, revealed that a total of six cases of Salmonella enteritidis were linked to the consumption of the vanilla products from the bakery.

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