Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

Meat Plant Owner and HACCP Manager Plead Guilty to Falsifying E. coli Test Results

September 25, 2019

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut has announced that Memet Beqiri, 32, owner and general manager of New England Meat Packing, LLC, and Debbie Smith, 60, the company’s former Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) coordinator/quality control officer, both pleaded guilty to falsifying numerous Escherichia coli test results.

New England Meat Packing is a federally inspected business that slaughters, processes, sells, and transports meat and meat food products for human consumption. The business had a HACCP plan in place that was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That plan required the business to perform one generic E. coli carcass swab for every 300 animals slaughtered. The plan also required periodic collection of ground beef samples for the purpose of E. coli testing.

Between November 2016 and September 2017, Smith submitted and Beqiri approved 36 documents related to 52 separate carcass swabs and ground beef samples that were logged in the company’s Lab Sample Report binder, which is reviewed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS). The documents, which stated that all 52 carcass swabs and samples tested negative for E. coli, were printed on the letterhead of a certified testing laboratory and appeared to be signed by the laboratory director. 

In reality, none of the 52 carcass swabs or samples had been submitted or tested by the identified laboratory, or any other laboratory. The 36 documents were fraudulently prepared using laboratory letterhead obtained from a previous testing that New England Meat Packing had conducted with that lab.

During the investigation, Beqiri told USDA FSIS that samples were not collected and the documents were forged because “he did not correlate the potential impact on food safety with his sampling program and wanted to create the appearance that he was compliant with all USDA HACCP testing requirements.”

None of New England Meat Packing’s meat products are known to have caused any illnesses.

A U.S. Attorney commented that Beqiri also said that he ignored regulations because he thought USDA’s meat testing requirements were an inconvenience and a nuisance. That U.S. Attorney said that “such reckless conduct seriously endangers public safety and will be prosecuted.”

FSIS Administrator Carmen Rottenberg also commented on the case, saying that USDA “will not tolerate blatant disregard for food safety laws.”

Smith pleaded guilty to one count of making and using a false document, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years. 

Beqiri’s guilty plea to one count of making and using a false document and aiding and abetting carries a maximum prison term of 5 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced in mid-November.

Sign up for Food Safety Magazine’s bi-weekly emails!

Subscribe to our podcast: Food Safety Matters!


Author(s): Staff

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Food Type
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Contamination Control
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

FoodSafetyMattersFinal-900x550-(002).jpg

Ep. 195. Dr. Christopher Daubert: The Value of a Food Science Education

Students returning their lunch trays in a cafeteria

California Bill Would Remove Ultra-Processed Foods from School Lunches

Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.

Staying Compliant With FSMA

Events

June 26, 2025

How to Design and Conduct Challenge Studies for Safer Products and Longer Shelf Life

Live: June 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn how to conduct challenge studies for microbial spoilage and pathogen growth, including the common challenges encountered, laboratory selection, and use of predictive models.

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • deli meat

    Falsified E. coli tests lead to probation for meat company owner

    See More
  • Rancho Feeding Co-Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Meat from Sick Cattle

    See More
  • Peanut Corporation of America Plant Manager Pleads Guilty

    See More
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing