Illegal lamb meat in Vienna: 150 kilos under catastrophic conditions!

Illegal lamb meat in Vienna: 150 kilos under catastrophic conditions!

On April 17, 2025, the City of Vienna operations team carried out several checks as part of the “Safe Vienna 2025” security campaign. This measure was a cooperation between various institutions, including the Market Office (MA59), the Employment Service (AMS) and the Vienna Police. A tip from the financial police led to an inspection of a private household where eyewitnesses reported possible illegal meat sales.

The emergency services discovered around 150 kilograms of lamb meat that was being transported in the trunk of a vehicle under catastrophic conditions. Additional meat was found in the basement of the house in question, where the meat appeared to have been improperly cut. The meat came from the Hungarian restricted area of ​​Sopron and had a temperature of over 28 degrees Celsius at the time. Due to the hygiene issues, all of the meat was disposed of properly.

Legal measures and hygiene problems

Several complaints were filed against the man responsible, including for unauthorized business practice, hygienic issues, illegal energy withdrawal and abuse of social benefits. Walter Hillerer, head of the operations team, emphasized the danger of the situation and praised the cooperation with the financial police in solving the case.

A similar incident occurred just a day later in Vienna-Favoriten, where an illegal butcher shop was uncovered in a former carpentry shop. Three illegal workers were found during this operation. The investigators found serious violations of hygiene regulations and food safety. In the severely neglected premises, several hundred kilograms of meat were stored under unacceptable conditions, with the cooling facilities not being used. Frozen meat was thawed using a heating gun and sometimes stored directly on the floor, which violates basic hygiene requirements.

Legal framework

EU hygiene law is binding on all food companies to ensure the safety of the food placed on the market. Hygienic requirements are set out under EU Regulations (EC) No. 852/2004 and No. 853/2004, which also include training of staff in health risks and food hygiene. The principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) require the systematic identification and avoidance of risks in food production.

The current incidents of illegal meat sales and the associated hygiene issues highlight the urgent need for strict controls and compliance with food hygiene regulations. In particular, the sale of food of animal origin from non-approved establishments is limited to exceptional cases and all establishments are obliged to take responsibility for food safety.

Compliance with hygiene and safety regulations is crucial to protect the health of consumers. Given the repeated violations, the relevant authorities need to step up measures to combat such illegal activities and non-compliance with food regulations.