The issue concerns "serious irregularities" detected in a meat processing room during a series of inspections carried out by the Southern Regional Unit – Faro Operational Unit of the ASAE in industries producing animal products in that Algarve municipality, the food security authority explained.

The objective of the inspection was "to verify compliance with legal requirements regarding traceability, freezing procedures and packaging in meat processing rooms" in Faro, the ASAE justified in a statement. “During one of the inspection actions, following a direct macroscopic examination carried out by a veterinary doctor from ASAE, suspicions of poor practices in the freezing and packaging processes of meat were confirmed. It was determined that the meat consisted of abnormal and damaged foodstuffs, constituting a criminal offense, as well as abnormal products due to a lack of legal requirements, constituting an administrative offense,” it specified.

ASAE was able to confirm that the traceability of the meat acquired fresh for subsequent freezing was not being guaranteed, which represents a “clear violation of the good practices established for this procedure,” it noted.

A criminal case was initiated against the operator in question, and 563 kilos of frozen meat were seized. The facts were reported to the competent judicial authority, ASAE concluded.