Hefty Fine for Southall Sweet Manufacturer
Balaji Foods was found guilty of a range of hygiene and safety breaches
The company admitted six offences including selling unsafe food. Picture: Ealing Council
February 19, 2026
A Southall sweet manufacturer has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after inspectors uncovered a series of food hygiene and safety breaches, including undeclared allergens in products already on sale.
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 ranging from operating without the correct approval to placing unsafe food on the market.
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 and must also pay £1,777 in costs and a £664 victim surcharge, bringing his total to £4,102.
The prosecution followed an unannounced inspection by Ealing Council in October 2024. Officers found that the business was producing Indian sweets containing dairy ingredients without the required approval to handle foods of animal origin. Under food safety regulations, such businesses must be registered as an approved establishment before production begins.
Inside the production rooms, inspectors discovered food debris and dirt on equipment, utensils with visible residue including nuts, and no allergen risk assessments. Sweets containing pistachio, almond and cashew nuts were already being supplied to other businesses without any allergen labelling. Laboratory tests later confirmed the presence of undeclared allergens in several samples. The council issued an immediate legal notice requiring the company to halt production.
After cleaning its production areas and overhauling its processes, Balaji Foods applied for and was granted approved establishment status. The business has since resumed operations.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said the case demonstrated the seriousness of the risks posed by poor food hygiene. “Protecting the health and safety of the public is a top priority for us,” she said. “The risks this business took are completely unacceptable, and the court’s ruling reflects the seriousness of the failings. We will always take strong action against businesses that put people in danger.”
The council’s food safety team continues to carry out unannounced inspections across the borough and has the power to issue notices, seize food or bring prosecutions when businesses fail to meet legal standards.
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