Cheap waste meat meant for pet food was deliberately diverted for human consumption by four businessmen, whose plot was ‘driven by massive profits’, according to a trial heard yesterday.
“Low-risk” animal parts, which are usually sold for between £100 and £120 a tonne, immediately became much more valuable when sold as food to the public, Inner London Crown Court said.
A visit by Southwark Council’s food safety team to an unsanitary, secret and illegal ‘cutting room’ where 1.9 tonnes of meat and poultry were seized revealed the scam, the jury heard.
Four men and a company are indicted for criminal conspiracy to divert animal by-products unfit for human consumption into the food chain between June 1 and September 22, 2020.
They include Anthony Fear, 61, and his company Fear Animal Products Ltd, alongside commercial director Mark Hooper, 62.
A visit by Southwark Council’s food safety team to an unsanitary, secret and illegal ‘cutting room’ where 1.9 tonnes of meat and poultry were seized revealed the scam, the jury heard. Pictured: Anthony Fear, 61, owner of Fear Animal Products Ltd
Among the seized meat was 160 kilos of lamb ___s and the labels on the by-product led investigators to Fear and Hooper. Pictured: Mark Hooper, 62, director of Fear Animal Products Ltd
Ali Afzal, 44, and Azar Irshad, 37, are jointly charged with seven counts of failing to comply with food regulations and each face one count of failing to comply with regulations.
Prosecutor Ryan Thompson said: ‘This is a food fraud case.
“These defendants conspired together to defraud by taking meat and poultry animal by-products unfit for human consumption and diverting them into the food chain and were motivated by massive profits. »
The case involves animal parts deemed ‘low risk’ but still unfit for human consumption, the jury heard.
“This is frequently used for pet food and has a low value,” the prosecutor said.
Council officers visited the premises of Walworth, which was only accessible via a narrow secure walkway at the rear and another business at the front, on September 22, 2020.
Among the seized meat was 160 kilos of lamb ___s and the labels on the by-product led investigators to Fear and Hooper.
Both are involved in running Fear Animal Products Ltd., Mr. Thompson said. “The company collects animal by-products and transports them to another company, a pet food manufacturer. »
Ali Afzal, 44, has been charged alongside Azar Irshad, 37, with seven counts of failing to comply with food regulations and each individually faces one count of failing to comply with food regulations. regulations.
The prosecution claims Irshad (right) and Afzal were responsible for Walworth’s premises, which were filthy, lacked facilities such as hot water and had illegal food stocks which should not be sold to the public.
The prosecution said Afzal and Irshal were responsible for Walworth’s premises, which were filthy, lacked facilities such as hot water and had illegal food stocks which should not be sold to the public.
The court heard Southwark Council was told by the National Food Crime Unit in March 2020 about the sale of illegal meat, but an inspector was unable to gain access to the cutting room premises.
“Through a flat roof he saw this room and took a picture of it and noticed a foul smell of rotting meat coming from the fan,” Mr Thompson explained.
Southwark Council returned on 22 September, entering through a blocked door from another company and found two workers inside.
“There was a large amount of cut up, skinned and washed raw poultry and lemon juice was used to try to clean the chicken and there was a garden hose.
“The situation was extremely bad. There was no hot water to wash your hands, just a hose and there was peeling and missing paint on the walls.
In a large cooler were found 160 kilos of lamb ___s, two kilos of beef burgers and in a black trash bag illegal sheep’s heads and cow’s legs and tongues.
The jury heard that the labels on the by-products led them to companies in Wales and Cornwall, from which Fear Animal Products Ltd. salvaged the “low risk” meat.
Fear Animal Products Ltd. was responsible for transporting tonnes of meat to Doncaster, where it became pet food, but instead ended up in a secret cutting room in Walworth, intended for human consumption, the jury heard.
The trial continues.
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