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A former balti house owner 'put lives at risk' by serving up a 'peanut-free' dish which contained enough of a trace to trigger an anaphylactic reaction, a court heard.

The potentially fatal situation at B68 Indian Cuisine and Takeway in Oldbury was uncovered by Sandwell Council's Trading Standards team in December last year.

Officers were carrying out checks across the borough to ensure takeaway and restaurant bosses were complying with strict rules on food allergens and food labelling.

Tests discovered the lamb korma and rice dish, which was advertised by the Hagley Road West eatery as being peanut-free, actually contained more than 40g per kg of peanuts.

Experts said this would easily be enough to cause an anaphylactic reaction – which can result in death - in someone allergic to peanuts.

However Birmingham Magistrates Court was told it was not known how the meal became contaminated with peanut as Reza Ul-Islam, the former director of B68 Indian Cuisine Ltd, had failed to co-operate with Trading Standards during the investigation.

(Image: Google Street)

Mr Ul-Islam pleaded guilty to food offences on February 7 and was given a 12 month community order.

When passing sentence, magistrates said they were taking the matter "very seriously" because he had been “playing with human life”.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and must pay the prosecution costs of £1,995, plus a victim surcharge of £85.

Councillor Elaine Costigan, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for public health and protection, said: "It's shocking to think of a business serving food to members of the public putting someone's life at risk in this way.

"We've all heard of the tragic, but thankfully rare, circumstances of people who have died or become seriously ill after they’ve eaten something without knowing it contains a substance they are allergic to.

“Only recently a teenage girl died after unknowingly eating a baguette that contained sesame seeds – it just shows how dangerous this can be.

“Businesses are legally required to warn customers about any allergens in food. If a business can’t guarantee a meal doesn’t contain an allergen, then they shouldn’t be serving it.

“Our trading standards team do vital work in keeping us all safe when we’re eating out and I want to congratulate them for bringing this prosecution. I dread to think of the consequences had someone with a peanut allergy eaten this dish.”

Between September nd December 2017, 40 premises were visited across Sandwell and three sold meals that contained dangerous levels of peanuts.

A further two meals tested contained trace levels of peanut but not at a high enough level to cause a reaction.