Dodgy wine isn't the only thing being seized these days, and while pig lard doesn't technically count as meat, it is an animal byproduct, and therefore relevant to the piece, not least of which is because vegetarians and even some meat eaters won't touch it. But in regards to the story, two cases involving illegal meat products being discovered in Monor, Pest County, were recently published in the Hungarian media. According to Magyar Nemzet, a plant making pig fat illegally was discovered in the town and 300 kilograms of packed and unpacked contaminated fat and 200 kilograms of irregularly handled animal byproducts were destroyed on September 2nd. The prevoius month, an investigation into a case involving meat products made from brown bear and sold in the same town was closed, Magyar Hírlap wrote.

The pig fat plant was inspected by authorities following a call by residents. Budapest and Pest County Head Veterinarian Ádám Hajós said the fat was produced in a shed and the product stored in the yard. He added that stickers used by supermarket chain CBA were also found at the scene, so the company was contacted to investigate whether the labels had been forged. The fine in the case, according to new laws effective since September 1, will be at least Ft 7 million.

In spring, sausage and salami made from the meat of brown bears were seized by the National Investigation Office at a local store. The 59 sausages and 47 packages of sliced salami, worth a total of Ft 600,000 and marketed under the brand Trofeu, originated from Romania. Brown bears are highly protected within the EU, and special permission is necessary for marketing products made from their meat. An investigation into the case was closed at the end of last month. The leader of the store, identified as József I., admitted responsibility and said he was not aware that EU permission was needed to sell bear sausage.