Perfumer pleas guilty to supplying mis-described oil to local cosmetic manufacturer

A perfumer from Oxford has pleaded guilty to charges made against him under the Business Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 following a complaint from South Hams soap manufacturer, Emma’s Soap.

Emma Rhodes, who produces high end soap products using pure ingredients, contacted Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Service when she noticed that the oil she had purchased looked different to her usual oil, “the smell, viscosity and colour were not right’, Emma told us.

Mr Carter had supplied Emma’s Soap with oil that was described as Extra Virgin Olive oil; however tests conducted by Trading Standards Officers revealed it to be a mixture of oils.

The officer said “It is vital that our businesses are protected from this kind of deception. The impact on this small local business and its customers could have been significant had they unknowingly used inferior mixed oil and the product had subsequently been mislabelled.”

The supplying company involved in the case has since gone into liquidation; however as director Mr Carter was ordered by the court to pay a fine of £2000, to pay a £120 victim surcharge and the prosecution costs in full.

September 2016

The £120 victim surcharge was NOT forwarded to the victim Emma’s Soap, but instead she had the responsibility to dispose of the goods through the correct waste streams at her own expense! Yes that right it was my responsibility and cost to dispose of 600kg of mixed oil.

2 year’s later I discovered North Devon Food Bank -https://northerndevon.foodbank.org.uk  A charity organisation that supports people who slip through the safety net and provides essential emergency food to those who would otherwise go hungry. 

The food bank operates a voucher scheme issued by a range of professionals who recognise the need, such as doctor’s health visitors, social workers and Police. This may be because of issues such as benefit changes or delays, delayed wages, debt, domestic abuse or sickness.

Schools, churches, businesses, supermarkets and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank. Which is run on volunteers, who sort and check the food and pack into 3 day emergency food packs.

So how did Emma’s Soap get involved? Their vans run on biodiesel, used waste oils are processed through transesterification into biodiesel. Emma’s clean mix of oil, makes the perfect diesel when mixed correctly to run the Food Bank Vans. Biodiesel can provide up to 90% green-house carbon saving compared to regular fossil diesel.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Thank you Duncan for driving from North Devon to South, I hope you get many miles in the van, doing your good work and I hope too the ladies in the office enjoy the soap sent home with you.

Win Win

Emma only used the highest grade quality oils in her soap, Extra Virgin, unrefined, Organic. ‘your skin in the largest organ in our body and it needs to be look after using only the best ingredients, nothing else will do’ says Emma.