LEYTON: Firm 'changed labels on out-of-date food'

Kim Son and its sister company Longdan Ltd, which are based at the same address in Estate Way, Leyton, were raided by trading standards officers following a tip-off from a former employee.

The council, which alleges it caught the firm "red-handed", says the out-of-date food was ambient or frozen, so did "not represent a risk” to public health.

Kim Son, which has a reported multi-million pound annual turnover, boasts on its website of being the largest supplier of Vietnamese seafood in the country.

It reportedly distributes products to around 600 oriental food shops and restaurants across the country.

Longdan, which says its cash-and-carry at the site is the largest of its kind in the UK, claims to sell more than 5,000 dry food items.

The former employee who tipped off the council, who also contacted the Guardian, said the firm had a dedicated machine which systematically changed the dates on the food packaging.

He also claimed that on some occasions the products were several years past their sell-by dates.

He said: "It really hurt me to see them selling this old food so I had to leave, I couldn't do it anymore. There were pregnant women, people with children coming in and buying this food.

"The council told me the out-of-date food was not hazardous but I believe the public have a right to know.

"I've got children and I would not want them to eat such old food, and how can they be so sure?"

The former employee, who did not want to be named, said the out-of-date food included frozen seafood, noodles and sweet products.

A council spokesman said: "The council’s Food and Safety Team took the employee’s concerns extremely seriously.

"We investigated his claims straight away and caught the company red-handed re-dating products.

"Thankfully as the products were ‘ambient’ or frozen goods they did not represent a risk to members of the public.

"The company have since cooperated with us, offering up goods for destruction and we have no evidence that the company are continuing with this practise.

"We also notified the Food Standards Agency and discussed all of these issues with them."

He added: "At present a case is currently being prepared to prosecute the company."

A woman, who said she was a manager at Kim Son, told the Guardian: "This is between the council and the company.

"It is being dealt with between us so we have no comment."

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