Two men jailed for conspiracy to sell meat meant for pet food to shoppers

The meat included whole chickens and lambs’ testicles.

Yikes...

Anthony Fear, 63, ran a company that supplied meat not deemed fit for human consumption to Azar Irshad, 40, who managed a cutting room that prepared the meat in south London.

The meat, which included whole chickens and lambs’ testicles, was intended to be thrown away or used in pet food; however, it was instead prepared to be sold as meat for customers to eat.

Previously, Inner London Crown Court heard that Trading Standards officers led an investigation on a business on Walworth Road after people living near it complained of the smell of rotting meat coming from the shop in 2020.

Additionally, the court residents took pictures of large containers of meat standing out in the baking sun, the court heard.

Officers also investigated a linked premises in East Street where they found a door to an illegal cutting shop.

Workers were found cutting, skinning, washing, and portioning tainted raw poultry to be distributed and sold.

The premises were run by Irshad, Ali Afzal and a third person, Arshad Akhtar, who has since died.

For food safety reasons, once meat is classified as an animal by-product, it can never be sold for human consumption; however, the court heard Irshad made 16 trips to Fear’s business in Somerset to bring the meat to what the judge labelled a 'disgustingly filthy' cutting room in south London.

Trading Standards found 1.9 tonnes of animal by-product, including whole and cut chickens, lambs’ testicles, and beef burgers, all of which were improperly handled and stored at an unregistered premises.

The meat was traced back to Fear’s business, with evidence showing he had been contracted by meat companies to collect animal by-products and transport them to pet food producer Saria.

Following a 12-week trial, Fear and his business, Fears Animal Products Limited, were convicted of conspiring to divert meat not fit for human consumption into the human food chain.

The judge said Fear was motivated by 'sheer greed' and was 'a gross dereliction of the trust placed in him'.

Sentencing him to 42 months’ imprisonment and a 6-year disqualification from directing a business, Judge Lucas told him: “You are a wealthy man with a successful business.

“Save pure greed and arrogance to think you could get away with it, you had no motivation.”

Irshad was jailed for 35 months for conspiracy and six months for regulatory offences, to run concurrently. He was also banned from working in the food industry.

Mark Hooper received a two-year suspended sentence and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Afzal was given a six-month suspended sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.

Victims' cost orders for Irshad, Hooper, and Fear were postponed.

Andrew Quinn, head of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), commented: “The sentences handed down today show that there is no place for such criminal activity in our food system.

“The case demonstrates the serious risk posed to consumer safety when individuals deliberately disregard food safety regulations by putting meat unfit for human consumption back into the food chain.

“We remain committed to our work identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who seek to exploit our food system for financial gain at the expense of public safety.”