AROUND 200kg of mouldy and contaminated meat, poultry and dairy products packaged for sale have been seized from a wholesaler in Hurn.

Public Health officers from Christchurch and East Dorset Councils obtained a warrant to search The Dorset Smokery, in Hurn Court Lane, on Monday, February 24, following a tip off.

After investigating, officers found items, also including olives and pate, which they described as mouldy or past their use-by date which were packaged and labelled ready for purchase in the fridges and freezers.

Officers also saw a vacuum packing machine which was being used for both smoked and raw food, which could they said cause contamination and all of the food could have caused food poisoning if eaten.

Steve Duckett, Head of Housing and Health for Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, said that the food which had been through the machine was therefore classed as unfit for human consumption and was also seized.

He added that there were other vacuum packing machines on the premises but these were broken.

The seized food was kept in a freezer lorry until Todd Saddler, the owner of The Dorset Smokery, appeared before a judge at Bournemouth Magistrates Court on Monday, February 29.

The judge agreed that the food did not comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990 and ordered the Public Health officers to destroy all of it. Mr Sadler was also ordered to pay the councils’ costs of £750.

Steve Duckett said: “The food that we seized could have caused serious health problems to anyone who ate it so we were pleased that the judge agreed with our actions.

“We will be working with the owner of The Dorset Smokery now to ensure that he improves his food safety standards.”

A spokesperson for Christchurch and East Dorset Councils said that they were not aware of any reports of a person having become ill as a result of eating food from the business in relation to the investigation.

The Daily Echo contacted The Dorset Smokery, but neither Todd Saddler, nor any member of staff from the firm, was available for comment at the time of going to press. The company had won awards for its artisan pate and wild boar and apple sausages and the Hurn Honker.

The company’s website is also no longer active. Their Facebook page, which describes the firm as a traditional smokery and charcuterie, has not been updated since December 2014.