Grocer sentenced over illegal meat processing

A Christchurch grocer who sold goat meat cut up with a bandsaw found to be contaminated with bird faeces and maggots is shutting down his business.

Shop ND Save owner Ananda Krishna was sentenced to 200 hours’ community work in the Christchurch District Court yesterday, while the business was fined $2250. Earlier this year he pleaded guilty to having goat meat in his possession that had not been processed in accordance with the Animal Products Act, failing to have a risk management programme in place to ensure compliance with the act, and carrying out regulated animal product and homekill operations at the same premises.

The 53-year-old’s illegal meat processing activities came to the attention of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) after a senior food safety officer for the Christchurch City Council visited the grocer in May last year over an unpaid registration application.

Krishna admitted he had processed some of the meat himself using a bandsaw at the back of the premises. MPI investigators found the bandsaw and what appeared to be meat and bone particles and bird faeces on the equipment.

Maggots fell out when the bandsaw was opened. An MPI food scientist said there was a serious food safety hazard due to the improper storage of raw carcasses and meat, the absence of cleaning and proper maintenance of equipment, and the absence of timetemperature control.

MPI prosecutor Grant Fletcher said although there was no evidence anyone fell ill due to the ‘‘unsanitary product’’, the sale of poorly processed meat had potentially serious consequences.

Krishna’s defence lawyer said his client had no formal education or training in food safety, and was not aware of his obligations in relation to the processing of meat. According to the defence, the Linwood shop stopped trading for seven weeks during the Covid-19 lockdown.

It has since resumed trading, but is in the process of being sold and won’t be operating by August.

The reason for the sale of the business was not specified.

Judge Brian Callaghan said taking into account that Krishna would effectively have to pay any fine imposed on the company in his personal capacity given the business was in a poor financial state, he deemed a modest fine to be appropriate. Shop ND Save was also held liable for court costs.