Salmonella scare prompts legal action

A salmonella scare in Britain leading to the recall of 1 million Cadbury chocolate bars has prompted authorities to begin prosecuting the candymaker.

Monday's announcement by the Birmingham City Council comes as authorities accused the firm of failing to notify the public in a timely fashion, The Telegraph said.

The charges against Cadbury followed reports by dozens of people who said they suffered food poisoning after eating contaminated candy.

The company learned of the problem in January 2006 but decided to release the product to the public after deeming it did not pose a substantial health risk.

The three charges brought against the company are each punishable by a maximum of two years in prison and unlimited fines.

The company, which lost more than $40 million due to the salmonella scare, promptly issued a statement, saying, "We have fully co-operated with the authorities throughout their inquiries and we will examine the charges that have been brought."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

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