A UK-based Ghanaian businessman, Stephen Akuoko, 62, has been sentenced to two years in prison over serious food safety violations.
Akuoko, who operated Tribal Foods in Watford, was also banned from running any food business for five years. In addition, the court ordered him to pay costs amounting to approximately $3,340 within three years.
At St Albans Crown Court, prosecutors revealed that Akuoko stored fish in highly unhygienic conditions at his flat, including in a bathtub and on the floor next to a toilet. Despite these conditions, he continued supplying ready-made meals to supermarkets and small shops.
The court further heard that some of the products carried excessively long use-by dates and lacked proper ingredient labeling, raising concerns about consumer safety.
Prosecutors stated that Akuoko continued distributing the food even after official notices were issued, an act the court described as a “flagrant disregard for the law.”
Akuoko pleaded guilty to two food safety offenses, including failure to comply with a remedial action notice.
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