The company is accused of placing chocolate products on the market that were ‘unsafe’ early last year. It will be prosecuted for failing to immediately inform the authorities that they had reason to believe the chocolate products were unsafe.
Finally, the company is also accused of failing to ‘identify hazards from ready to eat chocolate products contaminated with Salmonella’ and failing ‘to identify critical control points and corrective actions’.
The health scare originated at the company's factory in Marlbrook, Herefordshire, and was blamed on a leaking pipe. The problem was identified in January and confirmed in February 2006, although the company did not inform the authorities until June that year.
Cadbury has been summonsed to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on 15 June.
The company has issued a statement saying that it would examine the charges that have been brought.
