A group of meat processing companies, directors, and managers have been fined for illegally altering exported tallow for profit, following an investigation by New Zealand Food Safety.
Tuakau Proteins, Taranaki By-Products, Wallace Proteins, Stephen Dahlenburg, Paul Drake, Glenn Smith, Glenninburg Holdings, and SBT Group, were sentenced on various charges under the Animal Products Act.
In a sentence released by Manukau District Court, the defendants were fined more than NZ $1.6 million (U.S. $1 million) in total.
Tallow is rendered from animal fat into a range of products, in this case it was for use in biofuels. Production is regulated under the Animal Products Act and exporters must meet domestic New Zealand standards with a Risk Management Programme (RMP) as well as the rules of importing countries.
Whistleblower information
The defendants mixed tallow with adulterants, including products containing unknown quantities of various fats and oils, said Vincent Arbuckle, New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general.
“The price of tallow is based on its free fatty acid level and the lower the level, the higher the price. By illegally adding other oils, the defendants were able to command a higher price by lowering the free fatty acid levels. Following a lengthy and complex investigation, food safety investigators found this offending was deliberate to maximize profits,” he said.
“While there was no food safety issue identified with the offending, people and organizations...
USA TODAY President Donald Trump is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, continuing to press an issue that resulted in an attack on t...