Supermarket giant Coles has been fined $31,500 for displaying food beyond its use-by date at its McLaren Vale store in South Australia.

Lawyers for the company pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court to seven counts of breaching the food code and prosecutors dropped another 15 counts.

Magistrate David Whittle on Thursday imposed the fine and also ordered Coles to pay $10,000 in legal costs for Onkaparinga Council.

Council inspectors found the out-of-date items, which included salami and shaved ham, in April last year.

In a later statement, Coles said the company took food safety seriously and its SA stores had an outstanding record in that area.

“We set high standards and when we do not meet them we take accountability and fix the problem,” the company said.