Man, 33, to stand trial after two tonnes of chicken seized from meat processing plant

Majid Zaman denies being the boss of the processing plant which was operating at Unit 2 at Iron Works Park, Bowling Back Lane.

He also denies a total of 16 other food hygiene offences in connection with conditions found there when it was raided by the Food Standards Agency, Bradford Council environmental health officers and Home Office Immigration Enforcement on September 3 last year.

Zaman, who runs Shariah Foods, a Halifax-based meat distributor, told the authorities he leased the Bowling Back Lane premises from a company called West Yorkshire Lamb Beef & Poultry Ltd.

But he maintains he had sub-leased the site to a Karmat Sajid before the time of the raid and had nothing to do with the way it was operating, Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

The catalogue of 17 charges against Zaman, of Parkinson Lane, Halifax, included trays at the unit containing poultry meat left in dirty conditions and knives for cutting meat being left to stand on the floor.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting, told the court: “The premises were extremely dirty.

“Staff were cutting raw meat and did not have any means to wash their hands. There were no means of disinfecting work surfaces.

“Serious concerns were raised for Bradford Council of how this business was being operated. This was given due to the severity of the conditions found and the volume of meat processed in the premises.”

Zaman’s solicitor Majid Malik told magistrates: “Mr Zaman was just receiving payment. He took out a tenancy with West Yorkshire Lamb Beef & Poultry Ltd and then leased said unit. Karmat Sajid was the operator.

“He denies being the food business operator at the unit. They were conditions outside the control of the defendant.

He was not responsible for managing and doing anything in the unit.”

Zaman was granted conditional bail by magistrates to appear before Bradford Crown Court on October 28.