Four Men Accused Of Diverting Pet Food Meat To Public:

Anthony Fear (L) & Mark Hooper (R)

Cheap waste meat destined for pet food was deliberately diverted for human consumption by four businessmen, whose plot was “motivated by massive profits,” a trial heard.

The ‘low risk’ animal parts, which typically sold for £100-£120 per ton immediately became much more valuable when sold as food to the public, Inner London Crown Court was told.

A visit by Southwark Council’s Food Safety Team on an unhygienic, secret, illegal “cutting room”, where 1.9 tons of meat and poultry were seized, uncovered the scam, the jury heard.

Four men and one company are charged with conspiracy to defraud by diverting animal by-product, which was unfit for human consumption, into the food chain between June 1 and September 22, 2020.

They are Anthony Fear, 61, of Somerset Bridge, Hamp Bridge, Bridgwater, Somerset and his company Fear Animal Products Ltd.

Fear Animal Products Ltd. manager Mark Hooper, 62, of Somerset Bridge, Hamp Bridge, Bridgwater.

Ali Afzal, 44, of East Street, Walworth.

Ali Afzal (L) & Azar Irshad (R)

Azar Irshad, 37, of High Road, Ilford.

Afzal and Irshad alone are jointly charged with seven counts of failing to comply with food regulations and individually each face one count of failing to comply with the regulations.

Prosecutor Ryan Thompson said: “This is a case of food fraud. 

“These defendants conspired together to defraud by taking meat and poultry animal by-product that was unfit for human consumption and diverting it into the food chain and were motivated by massive profits.”

The case involves animal parts deemed ‘low risk’ yet still unfit for people to consume, the jury heard.

“This is frequently used for pet food and has a low value,” said the prosecutor.

Council officers visited the Walworth premises, which were only accessible via a secure gated narrow walkway to the rear and another business to the front, on September 22, 2020.

Among the meat seized were 160 kilos of lamb testes and the labels on the by-product led investigators to Fear and Hooper.

Both are involved in running Fear Animal Products Ltd. said Mr. Thompson. “The company collects animal by-product and transports it to another company, a pet food manufacturer.”

The prosecution say Afzal and Irshal were responsible for the Walworth premises, which were unclean, lacked facilities such as hot water and had illegal food stock that should not be sold to the public.

The court heard Southwark Council were tipped-off by the National Food Crime Unit in March, 2020 about the selling of illegal meat, but an inspector could not access the cutting room premises.

“Via a flat roof he saw this premises and took a photo of it and noticed a foul odour of rotting meat coming from the ventilation fan,” explained Mr Thompson.

Southwark Council returned on September 22, gaining access via a blocked door from another business and found two workers inside.

“There was a large quantity of raw poultry being cut up, skinned and washed and lemon juice was used to try and clean the chicken and there was a water hosepipe.

“The condition of the premises was extremely poor. There was no hot water for hand-washing, just a hose and there was chipped and missing paint on the walls.”

In a large chiller was found 160 kilos of lamb testes, two kilos of beef burgers and in a black bin liner illegal sheep’s heads along with cows feet and tongues.

The jury were told labels on the by-products led them to companies in Wales and Cornwall, from which Fear Animal Products Ltd. collected the ‘low risk’ meat.

Fear Animal Products Ltd. was responsible for transporting tons of the meat to Doncaster, where it became pet food, but instead it ended up in a secret Walworth cutting room, destined for human consumption, the jury heard.

Trial continues…………..