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Tayto Fined After Guilty Plea Over Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Mr Porky Scratchings

Prosecutors said genome sequencing linked the UK-wide outbreak to failures at Tayto’s Bolton factory.

Overview

  • Bolton Crown Court fined Tayto £153,000 and ordered £309,136.09 in costs after the company admitted two food-safety offences.
  • Nearly 600 people across the UK fell ill, with 35 seeking hospital treatment and 12 admissions, disproportionately affecting older adults.
  • Investigators identified failures at the Wingates plant, including poor segregation of raw and cooked meat, drainage issues, and inadequate cleaning.
  • Authorities traced the main contamination window to June–August 2021 with cases continuing into 2022, prompting one of the largest UK product recalls.
  • The prosecution cited genome sequencing to link cases to factory samples, while Tayto apologized, cooperated with authorities, and reported about £800,000 in remedial work.