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Four people charged by CPS following NFCU investigation into misrepresentation of smoked salmon
Four people appeared before York magistrates court on Thursday 8 January 2026
They attended York Magistrates following a lengthy and complex investigation by the Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU).
They were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that they conspired to commit fraud by false representation by representing that salmon products supplied by Bleiker’s Smoke House Ltd were Scottish salmon when the product supplied consisted in full or part of Norwegian salmon.
The NFCU are working with the CPS as well as the business, and the case is progressing through court.
“Four people have been charged by the CPS at York Magistrates Court, in connection with this case following a lengthy and complex NFCU investigation into food fraud. This case has now been committed to Teeside Crown Court on 6 February 2026.”
The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of four individuals for an offence of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
These offences relate to the mis-selling of Scottish salmon when allegedly they contained Norwegian Salmon between 20th August 2021 and 30th March 2022.
Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers of the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit who have carried out the investigation.
The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.