Food Act 1984

91 Obstruction

(1) A person who wilfully obstructs any person acting in the execution of this Act, or of any regulation, byelaw, order or warrant made or issued under it, is liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(2) If—

(a) a sampling officer applies to purchase, any food or substance exposed for sale, or on sale by retail, and tenders the price for the quantity which he requires as a sample, and the person exposing the food or substance for sale, or having it for sale, refuses to bring the officer such quantity of it as mentioned above ; or

(b) the seller or consignor of any article or substance of which an officer has power to take a sample, or a person having the charge for the time being of such an article or substance, refuses to allow the officer to take the quantity which he requires as a sample,

then, in any of the cases mentioned in those paragraphs, the person concerned shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (1) as having wilfully obstructed the officer; but where any food or substance is exposed for sale in an unopened container duly labelled, no person shall be required to sell it except in the unopened container in which it is contained.

(3) A person who—

(a) fails to give to any person acting in the execution of this Act, or of any regulation, byelaw, order or warrant made or issued under it, any assistance which that person may reasonably request him to give, or

(b) fails to give any information which that person is expressly authorised by this Act to call for or may reasonably require, or

(c) when required to give any such information, knowingly makes any misstatement in respect of it,

is liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, except that nothing in this subsection shall—

(i) apply to section 90(3);

(ii) be construed as requiring a person to answer any question or give any information if to do so might incriminate him.

(4) Subsection (3) is without prejudice to so much of section 118 as enables regulations made under this Act, or an order made under section 5, to contain provisions for imposing penalties on persons offending against the regulations or order.