'Authentic' crackers were prawnless

The Lee Kum Kee crackers contained no prawn meat

A company selling prawn crackers endorsed by the celebrity chef Ken Hom have been fined because there was no prawn meat in them at all.

Magistrates said the labelling on the Lee Kum Kee crackers, produced by Hertfordshire-based Westmill Foods, was an example of "blatant misrepresentation for commercial gain".

The company, based in Bishop's Stortford, was fined more than £3,000 and ordered to pay nearly £700 in costs.

US-born Chinese cook Ken Hom is quoted on the packaging as choosing the snacks for their "authentic ingredients" and a "real taste of China".

Ken Hom: "Real taste of China"

A picture of the chef is featured on the wrapping which reads: "Chinese cooking can be so easy and enjoyable when you use authentic ingredients, which is why I choose Lee Kum Kee prawn crackers.

"They are consistently of a superb quality and so simple and quick to cook you can create the real taste of China in just a few seconds."

But the company admitted a charge of breaching the Trade Descriptions Act when representatives appeared at magistrates court in Daventry, Northamptonshire.

The court was told that the crackers, described as "the choice of Ken Hom" contained no prawn meat when one of the chef's own cookbooks stated that the crackers should contain prawn meat.

Product 'wholesome'

A spokesman for Westmill Foods said on Wednesday night: "This is a technical labelling issue relating to our prawn-flavoured cracker product.

"As soon as we were made aware of the error in the labelling the produce was withdrawn from sale and will not be reintroduced.

"The product was perfectly wholesome and we make every effort to ensure labelling is correct and our customers are not misled.

"We express regret that in this instance this was not the case."