Eight New Zealand meat processing companies including Tuakau Proteins, Wallace Proteins, and others, have pleaded guilty to a reduced number of charges related to unlawfully exporting tainted tallow and meat and bone meal worth approximately $2.25 million.
Initially accused of breaching the Animal Products Act and Crimes Act for selling non-compliant animal products to Singapore, China, and Hong Kong, the charges against several individuals and companies were significantly reduced or withdrawn. The remaining defendants, including two company directors and a former employee, admitted to various offenses in November, while others, like former Wallace Proteins manager Curtain Webber, saw their charges dropped. Sentencing is set for February.
The investigation, triggered by a 2020 whistleblower report from a Tuakau Proteins director, revealed practices like blending vegetable oil with tallow for export without proper certifications.
These non-compliant products, mainly destined for biofuel production, initially amounted to an estimated $29 million in unlawful sales but were later revised to $2.25 million. Tuakau Proteins’ rendering plant, destroyed by fire in 2021, and its subsequent receivership in 2023 added to the scandal’s fallout. The case highlights critical lapses in risk management and regulatory adherence within the industry.
Thank you to the whistle-blower!!