A Southall-based food business has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after a series of food hygiene and safety breaches were uncovered by Ealing Council inspectors.
Balaji Foods Ltd, based at the Adrienne Business Centre, and its director, Tilokaram Kachhawa, of Ascot Gardens, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge magistrates court to six offences, including operating without the correct approval, failing to protect food against contamination, placing unsafe food on the market, mislabelling allergens and poor hygiene practices.
At a hearing on 20 January, the company was fined £3,338 and ordered to pay £1,777 in costs and a £1,015 victim surcharge. Kachhawa was fined £1,661, with £1,777 in costs and a £664 victim surcharge, bringing his total to £4,102.
The prosecution followed an unannounced inspection in October 2024, when officers found the business was producing Indian sweets using dairy ingredients without applying to become an approved establishment, as required for foods of animal origin.
Inspectors also reported food debris and dirt on equipment, utensils with visible residue including nuts, and a lack of allergen risk assessments. Laboratory tests confirmed undeclared allergens such as pistachio, almond and cashew in sweets already supplied to other businesses.
The council issued a legal notice requiring production to stop. The company later cleaned the premises, changed its processes and was granted approved status, allowing it to restart production.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal said: “The risks this business took are completely unacceptable.”
