Illegal meat business convicted as 'unfit' animal by-product entered human food chain

Four men and a meat business have been convicted over their involvement in “serious food crimes”, according to the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit.

Anthony Fear, sole director of a business known as Fears Animal Byproducts, was last week found unanimously guilty of the offence of conspiracy to defraud by placing unfit food on the market. Three other men: Mark Hooper, Azar Irshad and Ali Afzal – who had earlier pleaded guilty to the crime – were also prosecuted.

An NFCU investigation discovered the men and the business had processed 1.9 tonnes of Category 3 animal byproducts, which included whole and cut chickens, lamb’s testicles and beef burgers, at an illegal meat cutting plant in London – before making the meat available for sale into the human food chain.

NFCU enquiries traced the animal byproducts back to legitimate food business operators “who confirmed these meat products had been sent to Fears Animal Byproducts in Somerset for manufacture into petfoods or for safe disposal”, the FSA said.

Once meat is classified as an animal byproduct, for food safety reasons it can never be placed back into the human food chain.

“Evidence of criminal conspiracy was then pieced together following analysis of large volumes of communications data and other evidence that demonstrated the criminal relationships between the four accused men,” the regulator said.

“These five convictions have been secured following an extensive investigation led by the NFCU which required meticulous examination of large volumes of evidence,” said NFCU head Andrew Quinn.

“The NFCU worked closely with Southwark Council and other partners to enable this successful prosecution. It is anticipated that in due course the sentencing will reflect the serious nature of this offending and will act as a deterrent to other bad actors in the food chain.”