Freeza Meats fined over ‘beef heart’ burgers

A Newry food company that used over 650,000 tonnes of beef hearts in its burgers is to pay over £70,000 in fines and costs.

Freeza Meats Ltd, which no longer trades, was also fined a total of £42,500 for 71 offences including illegally adding substitutes, including beef hearts, to burgers that were sold to a major supermarket retailer.

The meat company was at the centre of a horsemeat scandal in 2013.

Newry’s magistrates’ court heard the investigation was launched after Newry and Mourne District Council (NMDC) exposed the fraudulent practices.

The court heard Freeza Meats had bought almost 655,000 tonnes of beef hearts to use in their supermarket products.

Labels on burger products did not identify the beef hearts as a separate ingredient, while EC Regulations state beef hearts cannot be considered a meat product.

Freeza Meats also admitted packaging Halal burgers that were not Halal.

The court heard they had used meat not slaughtered in Halal ways to save themselves the extra expensive of hiring a Muslim preacher to prepare it.

A defence lawyer said his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had not committed any further offences.

He said that even though the products misled the customer, health had not been at risk.

The Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland was also involved in the investigation, and its director Maria Jennings said: “Consumers deserve to know that the food they buy is what it says it is.

“Firm action is being taken by district councils against businesses committing food fraud and we welcome the decision by Newry Magistrate’s Court to penalise Freeza Meats Ltd for these offences.

“The result is a real victory for consumers, it shows that enforcement procedures work and sends out a strong message to any food business that is tempted to commit fraud.

“Any food business found to be undertaking fraudulent practices will be subject to rigorous investigation, including the seizing and interrogation of all evidence.”

Ms Jennings added that Newry Mourne and Down District Council had invested significant time and resource into the investigation, and the result was testament to their “sustained efforts”.

The district judge said public confidence had been damaged, and that the public were entitled to know their food is fit for purpose.