ASDA has been fined nearly £80,000 for displaying food past its use-by date at its North Swindon store.

The Asda Wal-Mart hypermarket in the Orbital Retail Park sold 32 out-of-date items including mussels, chicken nuggets, smoked trout fillets, bacon and turkey.

The food was sold to undercover food safety officers in March last year.

The inspectors, from Swindon Council, also found the store's own-brand Fresh Lemon and Dill Sauce on sale 12 days after its use-by-date.

Four other items, including a flame-cooked BBQ rib sandwich, had no date on them at all.

At Swindon Magistrates Court yesterday, Asda was fined £70,000 for 16 counts of selling food past its use-by date and four counts of failing to indicate durability a sell-by date on packaging.

The company was also ordered to pay £8,383.35 in costs.

Asda admitted the out-dated food was on sale, but denied the charges, saying it had taken all reasonable precautions to prevent the sale of old food. The company blamed the store's staff for failing to properly carry out company procedures.

The court heard that from the time of the store's opening, in November 2001, until the point the out-of-date items were discovered, there was no evidence weekly checks were carried out in line with company policy.

James Wilson-Smith, for the prosecution, said only 10 per cent of the company's food rotation procedures were carried out.

In the months preceding the inspection food safety officers had written to Asda's head office in Leeds informing the company the North Swindon store was to be monitored, but the information never reached the store manager, the court heard.

But magistrates found against the company.

Chairman of the bench Bob Sparling said: "We are not satisfied that Asda Ltd took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence."

Mark Pollard, the North Swindon store's general manager, admitted he knew it was against the law to sell food past its sell-by date.

But he said he had been too busy sorting out safety issues with the store car park to prioritise food stocks.

Asda spokesman Ed Watson said: "The store had only been opened for a very short period of time and while things were not clearly as we had wished, the problems were quickly identified and rectified.

"That is why we are disappointed with the result and are considering our position with regards to an appeal."