A Suffolk food company run by an Eye couple which prides itself on using top quality and fresh ingredients has been ordered to pay almost �30,000 for mislabelling its products.

Stark Naked Foods Limited, run by Marcus and Victoria Welch, of Langton Green, admitted breaching 14 food safety and consumer protection laws relating to its range of pesto products during a hearing held at Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard how the company, based in London Road, Ipswich, had sold goods to ASDA and Waitrose supermarkets which contained sunflower oil even though labels claimed only extra virgin was used.

Other charges related to products sold to Waitrose which contained frozen ingredients despite its labels stating it only used fresh herbs, and claims that herbs were sourced from local farmers when this was not always the case.

The cases were brought against the company by Suffolk County Council's trading standards department.

Initially, the company had faced 30 charges but these were reduced to 14, including 11 for breaching the Food Safety Act and three for breaching Consumer Protection laws for using misleading marketing on its website.

The couple also faced 30 charges each but these were later dropped.

Prosecuting, Alison Lambert said the company had failed to change its labels despite receiving advice from trading standards.

The company said the errors were down to a technical manager who changed recipes without changing the labels.