EHOs out to hook bad meat hauliers
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• Operation Meathook Two is out to catch more unscrupulous meat hauliers, with a team of environmental health officers travelling the country to track down consignments of unfit meat (CM 1-7 November).
The operation is a repeat of an exercise 10 years ago when EHOs moved in to stop the illegal, but highly profitable trade in meat unfit for human consumption.
Now the net is closing, says an EHO who is part of the clean-up operation: "Information is coming from around the country — we should soon be able to take action on three more cases.
"We are trying to nail these people", he says, "because the profit margins are enormous — carcases fetch £600 a time and you can get up to 100 of them on a 40ft trailer."
A recent prosecution by Taunton Deane Borough Council in Somerset resulted in Barnsley operator Braman receiving fines totalling £16,000 with costs.
The company, which owns a knackers yard and a slaughterhouse, transports its own meat. The same council has been investigating an unfit consignment of meat from South Wales.
However, in another West Country development, a meat boning plant is considering action against a television programme investigating unfit meat which allegedly showed its lorries and livery.
The company had itself.called in environmental health officers after discovering unfit meat in a delivery it received from another operator.
Boning plants transform meat into boxed and packaged products for catering purposes.