Dried fish and land snails seized in food alert

Dried fish and African land snails were seized from shops around the borough on Christmas Eve.

Newham Council visited 11 stores in East Ham, Plaistow and Upton Park after a warning from the Food Standards Agency, who believed Ades Limited had been handling and packaging dried fish products and whole frozen African land snails in an unapproved establishment and in poor hygiene conditions.

A total of 249 bags were removed from three of the shops visited, while smaller amounts were removed from a further four. The remaining four premises were found not to have any of the products in stock.

The food includes whole prawns, smoked catfish fillet, blue whiting and stockfish tusk, which the FSA say are sold in gold-coloured packages with a clear front or in fully transparent packaging.

Cllr Ian Corbett, mayoral adviser for environment, said: “The advice from the Food Standards Agency to residents is that if you have already bought any of these products, do not consume them.”

The seized items, with the number GN018, will now be destroyed after being handed over voluntarily.