A Canterbury Meat Business And Its Owners Have Been Fined $84,500 For Illegally Selling Unregulated Homekilled Deer, Beef, Goat And Pork In Butcher Shops

A Canterbury meat business and its owners have been fined $84,500 for illegally selling unregulated homekilled deer, beef, goat and pork in butcher shops. Canterbury Homekill Services owner Noel Womersley was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on multiple charges under the Animal Products Act. New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle says an investigation began in 2020 because the meat had not been through the food safety system to ensure it was safe. For cattle and deer, the person in charge of the animal must be NAIT registered and record animal movements and deaths. An investigation into the business began in 2020 and found the company sold unregulated meat through its two retail butcher shops.