Preservative Charges: No Supermarkets, Major Butchery Chains

MEDIA RELEASE

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

No Supermarkets Or Major Butchery Chains Implicated in Preservative Prosecutions

Beef + Lamb New Zealand support the actions taken by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in the prosecution of 15 meat wholesalers/retailers and three company Directors for the non-compliant use of sulphites/sulphur dioxide in raw meat.

Charges were laid after an MPI operation in the greater Auckland area in 2013 after meat samples were tested and these cases were heard in the Manukau and Auckland District Courts in late 2014 and early 2015.

None of those prosecuted are part of any major supermarket or high profile butchery chains.

In addition to fines, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Rod Slater says there are serious implications for those found to be non-compliant.

“Make no mistake; there is no room for this type of operator in New Zealand. We take these offences extremely seriously and support MPI’s actions.

“In the main, we find New Zealand retailers and wholesalers are extremely proud of the standards which they are upholding. This behaviour is definitely not the norm and I think you’ll find the rest of the industry will be left extremely disappointed,” says Slater.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand will continue to work with MPI to undertake similar operations and maintain the positive reputation of our butchers and meat retailers.

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