An Indian restaurant in Uxbridge has been fined more than £40,000 after a customer was hospitalised with a severe allergic reaction due to undeclared allergens in their meal.
JR Uxbridge Ltd, which trades as Javitri on 112 High Street, faced Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 22 April after an investigation by Hillingdon Council uncovered significant food safety breaches. The company admitted five offences related to health and safety, food information, and food hygiene regulations.
The court handed down a fine of £35,000, alongside a £5,000 victim surcharge, and ordered the business to pay £3,816 towards the council’s prosecution costs—bringing the total penalty to £43,816.
The case began when council officers received a complaint from a customer with a nut allergy who had suffered a serious reaction after eating food from the restaurant on 26 June 2024. The customer required hospital treatment.
When inspectors visited, they found loosely stored nuts in the kitchen, menus that failed to properly detail allergens, and staff who were unclear about the ingredients used in certain dishes. This was despite employees having recently completed the Food Standards Agency’s allergen training.
A follow-up inspection on 16 July revealed that the restaurant had made little effort to address these issues. The council then issued an improvement notice, demanding accurate allergen information by 13 August.
But when officers returned the following day, the allergen menu presented to them was still riddled with inaccuracies and described as “confusing.” The restaurant was given more time to submit a corrected version, but the documents provided were still not up to standard. After repeated requests, no further improvements were made.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, commented:
“It’s a legal responsibility for all food businesses to provide accurate allergen information to customers and ensure what they are producing and selling is safe. This case shows that failing to do so can have severe consequences for people with allergies.
Our food standards team works hard to protect residents from harm through routine inspections, educating businesses, serving improvement notices and if required taking legal action against businesses that neglect their responsibilities. Let this be a warning to businesses that they need to operate in line with regulations or they will be fined.”
The case serves as a stark reminder to all food businesses in the UK: failing to manage allergens and keep accurate records is not just a regulatory box-ticking exercise—it can have life-threatening consequences and result in hefty financial penalties.
Guardstar food safety system helps with allergy guidance by making it much easier—almost automatic—for restaurants to provide safe, accurate information to customers and staff about allergens in every dish. Here’s how:
1. Centralised Allergen Database
Guardstar keeps a detailed, up-to-date log of every ingredient used in your kitchen, including all known allergens. When suppliers change or recipes are updated, the system prompts you to update allergen information—so nothing slips through the cracks.
2. Staff Alerts and Training
Every time there’s an update to allergens or procedures, Guardstar notifies staff and can require them to acknowledge the change or complete a quick refresher quiz. This keeps everyone on the same page about allergy risks.
3. Automated Reminders for Cross-Contamination
Guardstar can remind staff about cross-contamination risks (like cleaning utensils, changing gloves, or storing allergens securely) and prompt key checks during prep and service, making sure best practices are followed.
4. Easy Reporting and Communication
For customers with allergies, the system can produce a detailed allergen report for any menu item at a moment’s notice. This builds trust and helps prevent dangerous mistakes.
Guardstar food safety system doesn’t just help you keep track of allergens—it actively guides staff and management to make sure every customer gets the right allergy information, every time. It minimises human error, closes the gap between kitchen and front of house, and makes allergy guidance a built-in part of daily operations rather than an afterthought.