Two men have been jailed and another two have received suspended prison sentences in England for diverting unfit meat back into the food chain.
Defendants were convicted earlier this year following an investigation by Southwark Council and the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU).
Anthony Fear, director of Fears Animal Products, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud by placing food not fit for human consumption on the market. The 64-year-old was disqualified from being a company director for six years by the judge at Inner London Crown Court.
Mark Hooper, a manager at Fears Animal Products, was sentenced to 24 months, suspended for two years, and was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
Azar Irshad was given 35 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud, failure to comply with the part of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations relating to unapproved premises, placing smokies on the market, selling out of date beef burgers, and placing food not fit for human consumption on the market. The 40-year-old was also prohibited from involvement in the food industry for an indefinite period.
Ali Afzal was sentenced to six months, suspended for 21 months, 150 hours unpaid work, and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 ($6,700), for failing to comply with regulations relating to unapproved premises.
Fears Animal Products will be sentenced in 2026 following the conclusion of confiscation proceedings. Other costs will be determined after these proceedings.
Meat sold to takeaways; sometimes as Halal
“The case demonstrates the serious risk posed to consumer safety when individuals deliberately disregard food safety regulations by putting meat unfit for human consumption back into the food chain. We remain committed to our work identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who seek to exploit our food system for financial gain at the expense of public safety,” said Andrew Quinn, head of the NFCU.
The investigation was called Operation Bantam. It began in 2020 when Southwark Council officers discovered 1.9 tons of Category 3 animal by-products, including whole and cut chickens, lamb’s testicles and beef burgers, being processed for the human food chain at an illegal meat cutting plant in London between June and September 2020. The site was not registered as a food business, had no running hot water and the meat was prepared in unhygienic conditions.
Animal by-products were traced back to legitimate businesses who said items had been sent to Fears Animal Products in Somerset for manufacture into pet foods or for safe disposal. Once meat is classified as an animal by-product, it is excluded from the human food chain for safety reasons.
Evidence showed that Irshad made 16 trips from London to Fears Animal Products in Bridgewater to collect animal by-products. On each occasion, in the region of 1 ton of poultry or meat was loaded onto his van. It was later portioned and sold to fast food outlets. Some of it was sold as Halal meat.
Labels on lamb’s testicles and beef burgers were from a company called Keepak while chicken came from 2 Sisters Food Group. Fears Animal Products had been contracted by Kepak and 2 Sisters Food Group to collect animal by-products and transport them to Saria, a pet food producer. Fears Animal Products had a contract with Sarval, a Saria subsidiary.
Hooper, Irshad and Afzal pleaded guilty during hearings in January 2025. Anthony Fear pleaded not guilty and stood trial, which concluded in March with guilty verdicts for both him and his business, Fears Animal Products.
Councilor Natasha Ennin said: “This sentencing marks the end of a long and determined investigation to hold food criminals to account. These individuals operated with complete disregard for public health, motivated solely by greed. The sentences handed down send a clear message: food crime will not be tolerated.”
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