In England, a man was given a suspended sentence for violating food safety regulations.
Arfan Sultan, from Ilford, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on November 14 following an investigation by the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and Redbridge Council into the illegal production and distribution of smoke prepared in unsanitary and unregulated conditions.
Smokey is made by singeing the wool of illegally slaughtered sheep, rams or goats. The investigation uncovered a cutting plant operating without registering a food business and leading to the removal of large amounts of meat from the human food chain.
Sultan was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for 18 months, 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £3,000 ($3,900). He pleaded guilty to eight offenses under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
Illegal smoke production
Kam Rai, leader of Redbridge Council, said: “Producing and processing meat in this way is illegal as we cannot guarantee it is safe for consumption. This conviction marks the end of a lengthy and determined investigation to bring a food offender to justice. This man acted with complete disregard for public health, driven solely by greed.”
Sultan was found in possession of a vehicle containing 1.6 tons of smoke and was processing and supplying it.
Neil Castle, deputy head of the NFCU, which is part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said the sentence reflected the serious nature of the offences.
“The NFCU is working with the police and Redbridge Council to investigate food hygiene violations and the illegal slaughter of sheep and goats. Due to the way they are produced, smoky cigarettes breach food safety law and often animal welfare legislation,” he said.
According to the FSA and Food Standards Scotland's (FSS) Strategic Food Crime Assessment 2024, demand for smoky cigarettes has created opportunities for organized criminals operating from multiple locations across the UK, targeting consumers in major cities through retail outlets and personal deliveries. Religious festivals and other special events create an increased demand for smoky drinks.
Production is concentrated in rural Wales, with some activity in Scotland and Cornwall. The corpses are transported to places such as Birmingham and London. Connections with Ireland were also established.
Canada and Trichinella
In other news, the FSA and FSS have found that Canada's response to Trichinella does not comply with UK legislation.
This means that all pigs destined for meat export to the UK from Canada must either test negative for Trichinella or the meat must be frozen in accordance with relevant regulations.
The UK's Defra Sanitary and Phytosanitary Trade Authority has asked the FSA to assess whether Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspections of controlled living conditions for Trichinella can be recognized under UK food safety legislation.
The assessment found that while the CFIA has taken a number of measures to control Trichinella in swine, there are notable gaps in compliance, such as reporting requirements. Any future consideration of Canada's approach will require formal review by UK authorities to confirm that all relevant criteria have been met.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Safety News, click Here)
