Latest News
13 March 2013
Rotten fruit and veg earn Bristol fresh produce retailer £3,545 fine
A Bristol based fresh produce retailer pleaded guilty to ten separate offences after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Union marketing standards for quality and labelling. Many were unfit for human consumption. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
14 February 2013
Dorset fresh produce retailer fined £2,000
A Dorset based fresh produce retailer has been fined £2,000 after displaying and offering for sale Spanish lemons and Asian cucumbers plus other regulated fresh produce that failed to comply with the European Union marketing standards for quality and labelling. The fruit and vegetables were unfit for human consumption.(Further information: RPA Latest News)
9 October 2012
Rotten tomatoes land grocer with £500 fine
A grocer has been fined £500 for displaying and offering for sale a consignment of Spanish tomatoes which failed to meet the lowest marketable standard permitted.
Mr Raj Kulen, a stand manager for wholesaler Fruit 4 U, pleaded guilty to the single breach of the EU marketing standards for fresh horticultural produce on September 29 at Thames Magistrates’ Court, Bow, East London. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
26 June 2012
RPA experts host international fruit and veg marketing standards event
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) hosted an influential international conference on fruit and veg marketing standards recently.
RPA’s fresh produce experts, the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) attended the Harmonisation meeting on marketing standards interpretation and enforcement. This was designed to help fruit and veg inspectors agree on how best to apply marketing standards throughout the EU and worldwide. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
24 January 2012
RPA action ends with £3k fine for owner of Halifax shop
An investigation by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has led a £3,100 fine for the owner of convenience store in the Calderdale area of Halifax for displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not meet European Community (EC) rules on quality and labelling. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
19 December 2011
RPA action results in £5.5K fine for Heathrow import agent
An importer of fruit and vegetables based at Heathrow Airport has been fined £5,500 after making inaccurate and misleading import notifications and so failing to meet European Community (EC) import requirements. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
29 November 2011
RPA prosecution results in £4,500 fine for Bradford retailer
A Bradford based fresh produce retailer has been fined £ 4,500.00 after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Community standards for quality and labelling. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
29 November 2011
Court victory for RPA Inspectors as York retailer fined £1,500
A York based fresh produce retailer has been fined £ 1,500.00 after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Community standards for quality and labelling. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
10 May 2011
Hull retailer fined £5,600
A Hull based fresh produce retailer has been fined £ 5,600 after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Community standards for quality and labelling. (Further information: RPA Latest News) ...
6 May 2011
Leeds market retailer receives £500 penalty
A Leeds-based fresh produce retailer pleaded guilty to seven separate offences after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Community standards for quality and labelling. (Further information: RPA Latest News)
8 February 2011
Chichester retailer fined £12,000
A Chichester-based fresh produce retailer has been fined £12,000 after displaying and offering for sale fresh fruit and vegetables that did not comply with the European Community standards for labelling. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
3 February 2011
Leeds retailer ordered to pay £7,100 fines and court costs
A Leeds fresh produce retailer has been ordered to pay £7,100 after displaying and offering to sell sub-standard goods.
Mr Estafik Ahmed Din, Director of retailer Eastern Foods (Harehills) Limited, pleaded guilty to a total of 21 separate breaches of European Community marketing standards for fresh produce quality and labelling on 26 January 2011 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
13 July 2010
Changes to import controls for fresh fruit and vegetables
Importers of fresh fruit and vegetables from countries outside the EU will benefit from deregulation coming in to force from 20 July 2010. New procedures mean that importers and enforcement services in England and Wales will be able to meet regulatory obligations with minimal impact to the industry. The changes introduced by Defra via the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI), are the final phase of EC reforms that began to come into effect in July 2009 (see statements on the ‘About PEACH’ section of the website for more information)
4 May 2010
Leeds retailer ordered to pay £31,014 combined fines & costs
On 26 March 2010 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court, Mr Mohammed Yasin (Director) and Mr Ifthikar Hussain (Company Secretary) of retailer Noshi Foods International Limited, each pleaded guilty to a total of 23 separate breaches of the EC marketing standards for fresh produce for quality and labelling offences. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
23 September 2009
Bradford Retailer ordered to pay over £6,000 in fines and costs
Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI), part of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), successfully prosecuted Bradford based retailer Mr Rehan Hanif - trading as Hasaan Danyal Foods - for displaying and offering for sale, sub-standard or incorrectly labelled, fresh fruit. This followed a series of risk assessment visits, including conformity check visits, guidance and warnings by HMI Inspectors over an 15 month period between November 2007 and January 2009. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
1 July 2009
Reformed EC Marketing Standards
The EC marketing Standards have been reformed. EC regulation 1580/2007 has been replaced with EU regulation 543/2011
10 February 2009
Redditch based retailer ordered to pay over £10,000 in fines and costs
Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI), part of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), successfully prosecuted Redditch based retailer Mr Roy Freeman - trading as Your Choice Fresh Food Mart - for displaying or offering for sale, sub-standard or incorrectly labelled, fresh fruit. This followed a series of risk assessment visits, conformity check visits, guidance and warnings over an 18 month period between May 2006 and November 2007. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
04 December 2008
Stourbridge Fruit & Veg suppliers ordered to pay over £17,000 in fines and costs
Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI), part of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), successfully prosecuted Food City (Stourbridge) Limited for displaying and selling sub-standard and incorrectly labelled fresh fruit and vegetables, following an investigation and warnings over an 18 month period between June 2006 and December 2007. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
11 February 2008
Northampton store breaches trading rules
The Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI) has completed its prosecution of the Sainsbury’s Supermarket Limited, specifically of its branch at Princes Walk, Grosvenor Centre, Northampton in relation to breaches of the EC Grading Rules for fresh fruit and vegetables on 12 June 2007. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
08 January 2008
Birmingham Fruit & Veg suppliers ordered to pay over £15,000 in fines and costs.
Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI), part of Rural Payments Agency (RPA), successfully prosecuted M&W Mack Limited, trading as Mack Markets Division, and Philip Wheeler, a fresh salad salesman, on 21 December 2007 for displaying and selling five below-standard consignments of tomatoes, sweet peppers and lettuce at Birmingham Wholesale Market in Pershore Street, Birmingham. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
27 December 2007
EC Marketing Standards and EC Regulation 1182/2007
No change will take place to marketing requirements or marketing standards drawn up under Council Regulation 2200/96 and 1148/01 after 1 January 2008. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
27 November 2007
Lancashire Fruit & Veg Wholesaler ordered to pay over £15,000 in fines and costs.
Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI), part of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), successfully prosecuted J H Haslam (Preston) Limited and its director John Haslam on 14 November for displaying and selling substandard lettuce and satsumas. (Further information: RPA News Releases)
05 October 2007
Staffordshire grower/wholesaler ordered to pay £6000 in fines and costs
On Wednesday 25 September 2007 at Birmingham Magistrates Court, the RPA, Horticultural Marketing Inspections (HMI) completed a successful prosecution of a Birmingham wholesale firm and a Staffordshire grower. The company pleaded guilty on all charges and recieved fines of £4400 and were ordered to pay costs of £1600. (Further information: traders> importers information> notices)
30 April 2007
Consultation on Commission proposals for EU Fruit and Vegetable Regime reform.
The EU Commission proposed wide-ranging reforms of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for the Fruit and Vegetable Regime in January 2007. The Crops Hub, Food and Farming group in DEFRA have issued a consultation document inviting interested parties for their views on the proposals. Any responses are ideally expected by 7 June 2007. A link to the DEFRA is available here (Further information - on the DEFRA website)
1 February 2007
Exclusion from PEACH
From March 1st, where traders have been found to be deliberately attempting to get around the import controls, RPA will withdraw the concession of the use of PEACH to the trader concerned for a specific period of time. This will mean that all 3rd Counrty imports from that trader, will have to be notified to RPA using the Paper PEACH system. This will mean a compulsory inspection of each consignment.
A letter from Tony Crouch, Head of Branch C RPAI to Nigel Jenney of the Fresh Produce Consortium explaining the full procedures involved and the circumstances under which exclusion from PEACH will take place, is available at (Further information - traders> importers information> notices> PEACH: Exclusion of importers or agents)
15 January 2007
Commission Regulation (EC) 1790/2006 approved Turkey conformity systems. This regulation came in to force on 25th December 2006. (Further information - traders > importers information > 3c imports)
Page published: 13 March 2013