Cadbury in court over salmonella outbreak

Cadbury, the confectionery giant, was accused yesterday of a six-month failure to tell food safety watchdogs that it was selling chocolate it knew could be contaminated with salmonella.

The Birmingham-based company, which lost £30m after it was forced to withdraw more than a million chocolate bars last summer, faces an unlimited fine if it is convicted on charges brought after an investigation into a food poisoning outbreak. Birmingham City Council is bringing three charges against the world's biggest confectioner relating to the hygiene breach caused by a leaking waste water pipe at one of its factories.

In a statement, the company said: "We have fully co-operated with the authorities throughout their inquiries and we will examine the charges that have been brought."

If convicted in a Crown Court, Cadbury faces an unlimited fine and up to two years' imprisonment for the executives responsible. The case is due to open at Birmingham magistrates' court on 15 June.