Aldi pleads guilty to hygiene breach following Waltham Forest investigation

Supermarket chain hit with £64,000 fine after mouse infestation found at Leyton branch.

Aldi Stores Limited was fined on Friday, 29 November following the discovery of a rodent infestation at its Leyton outlet by Waltham Forest Council’s environmental health officers.  

The German multinational – which saw £17.9 billion in sales in the year to December 2023 - was ordered to pay £64,000 plus £241,177 in costs to the prosecution at Snaresbrook Crown Court after pleading guilty to a charge relating to its failure to put adequate measures in place to control pests. This is the first time Aldi has been prosecuted for food hygiene offences in the UK. 

Environmental Health Officers visited the supermarket in Heybridge Way, E10, on 20 April 2020, after a customer complained about the presence of mouse droppings and fur in a partially unwrapped Easter egg. Upon receipt of the complaint, Environmental Health Officers visited the store and found conditions that presented a risk to shoppers' health.  

Officers found numerous mouse droppings throughout the premises, including in food packaging and within open milk and bread display areas. Based on these discoveries, the store was closed by EHOs whilst the business carried out measures to remove the imminent food hygiene risk that the conditions posed to customers.  

Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Waltham Forest Council, said: “We take food safety extremely seriously, no matter how big or small the business involved. As a major brand, the fact that Aldi has recently expanded its operations in the borough makes this lack of oversight all the more appalling. 

“We are a leading London borough when it comes to prosecuting food vendors for pest problems, poor hygiene, and food safety management. While I am pleased to see Aldi accept its failings, I am nonetheless alarmed by the serious risk this posed to residents here in Waltham Forest.”   

Residents are encouraged to check the food hygiene ratings of any restaurant, takeaway, or food business by using the Food Standard Agency’s online toolkit.