A wholesale food retailer in Bradford has been ordered to make significant improvements after receiving a one-star rating for food hygiene standards.
Afrogrocers Ltd operates from Caledonia Street in the Broomfields area of the city.
The establishment was examined by Bradford Council’s environmental health food safety officers on January 20, 2026.
The company supplies African and Caribbean food products, including fresh and frozen meat and poultry items.
According to the company, all identified problems have since been addressed and employees have undergone retraining to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
What was discovered during the inspection?
Investigators observed dried fish being offered for sale loose within cardboard containers, lacking proper product labelling or expiration information.
This matter had been flagged during an earlier assessment of the premises.
Additional items were also found to be missing mandatory labelling, prompting the inspector to liaise with West Yorkshire Trading Standards and Leeds Council’s food safety department.
Multiple ambient and frozen food products remained unlabelled, despite concerns being documented at a prior visit.
Undated corn dough Furthermore, three packets of corn dough were discovered on the shelves after their recommended use-by dates had passed.
The council directed the company to implement routine inventory audits to prevent expired goods from reaching customers.
Building condition and sanitation deficiencies also featured prominently in the inspection findings.
Toilet facilities lacking essential services The hand-washing basin in the toilet area had no hot water supply and was found to be leaking.
Inspectors noted the complete absence of soap and appropriate hand-drying equipment, and reminded personnel about the importance of proper hand-washing practices.
One toilet wall remained unfinished with bare plaster, rendering effective cleaning impossible.
This problem had been highlighted previously yet remained unresolved.
The ceiling above the main retail floor had suffered water damage from an earlier leak and had been temporarily covered with black tarpaulin.
Officers required the business to remove the covering, restore or renew the ceiling surface, and address any remaining gaps in the structure.
Significant black mould contamination A refrigerated unit used for storing fruit and vegetables was found to contain extensive black mould growth.
The company was required to determine the origin of the moisture problem, implement repairs, and conduct a thorough cleaning and sanitisation of the refrigeration equipment.
Food items were stored directly on the floor, creating a potential contamination hazard, while the storage area was described as unclean and dusty, with cobwebs having accumulated throughout.
Retail shelving was reported to contain spilled merchandise and accumulated dust.
A contaminated mop bucket was another item noted during the inspection.
Management procedures Council officers observed that the business had failed to supply staff with basic written guidance for operation during periods when the proprietor or manager was unavailable.
A recommendation was made to adopt existing procedures from the company’s Leeds outlet, implement the Safer Food Better Business for Retailers framework, or utilise an equivalent system that incorporated a documented cleaning routine.
The inspector emphasised that numerous deficiencies noted during the January visit had been raised during the preceding assessment.
Company response When contacted regarding the findings, a representative for the business stated that all matters raised during the initial inspection had been resolved prior to the follow-up visit.
Staff members had additionally received retraining to guarantee strict adherence to food hygiene protocols.
Structural upgrades were also being implemented to achieve full regulatory compliance.