Cadbury Schweppes Plc, the world's largest confectionery group, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of selling unsafe chocolate in Britain and Ireland during 2006 and faces an unlimited fine.
Cadbury, which makes Dairy Milk chocolate, was appearing before Birmingham Magistrates' Court after Birmingham City Council prosecuted the London-based chocolate and sweets group over a salmonella-related scare.
"Cadbury has indicated that it will be pleading guilty to the charges brought by Birmingham City Council in relation to the contamination of certain Cadbury products last year," the group said in a statement. The case is being referred to the higher Birmingham Crown Court, where fines are unlimited, and sentencing is scheduled to take place on July 13.
The council is prosecuting Cadbury under the UK General Food Regulations and Food Hygiene Regulations for, among other things, failing immediately to alert authorities it had reason to believe some of its chocolate was infected with salmonella.
Cadbury's UK chocolate manufacturing is based in Birmingham in the West Midlands, while the alleged offence took place at its Marlbrook plant in Herefordshire, 80 km south-west of Birmingham. Cadbury has said it detected salmonella on January 19, 2006, at Marlbrook, which produces chocolate crumb mixture.
On June 23, the company admitted the problem, which was linked to a leaking pipe, and said it was recalling more than one million chocolate bars in the UK and Irish markets because they could contain minute traces of salmonella. It estimated the recall cost at 30 million pounds ($59 million). Cadbury is summoned to appear before Herefordshire Magistrates' Court on July 24.