After undergoing various inspections, it appears a local slaughterhouse is in good standings despite recent allegations.
Last Friday, February 5, 50 people including Senator Gustavo Rivera and his chief of staff Katrina Asante and Community Board 11 district manager Jeremy Warneke visited Vivero Macca Live Poultry to inspect the market following recent complaints.
As previously reported, the allegations included slaughterhouse workers washing chicken cages on the curb every morning, allowing blood, hay, feces and feathers to be washed into the street’s sewers; two exhaust fans on the live market’s roof emitting a foul odor; exposed propane tanks sitting on its roof and vehicles double parked in front of the store all day.
According to Rivera, last Friday’s tour began with the elected official and local community leaders meeting outside the 603-605 Morris Park Avenue market to speak with the property’s landlord, Peter Marmorato and his tenant, Omar Thabet, the owner of the slaughterhouse, regarding these claims.
Marmorato stated Thabet and his workers have been very responsible in handling their establishment and explained the propane tanks claimed to be seen on the Van Nest slaughterhouse’s roof were removed in 2013.
Warneke confirmed this after a Thursday, February 4 visit to the local market .
Shradhanand Pirtam, CB 11 member and former Van Nest Neighborhood Association president, stated the allegations were several years old and have since been resolved.
Pirtam added the FDNY visited the market last week and did not discover any violations.
“They’re doing a honest business there. I believe they’re doing the best they can and are following guidelines,” said Pirtam.
Rivera said the tour began with the group walking through the front doors to be shown around the facility.
The group saw ten to 12 live healthy goats, sheep and calves housed in metal pens being fed by the staff before being shown the right side of the facility where chickens, pheasants and quail are housed in separate metal cages.
The left side of the facility where meat is prepared before packaging, was clean and its walls and metal table were devoid of any debris, Rivera said.
As required by law, the room’s corners contain drains and the room is not visible from the street.
The only area not shown was the back room where the livestock are slaughtered due to health regulations.
This room is also not visible to pedestrians, the senator confirmed.
Thabet also presented the group with his business’ paperwork showing that the market is in good standings with its city and state inspections.
As required by law, the paperwork is on display inside of his establishment.
“To be completely blunt, these allegations are baseless,” said the senator, adding. “What I saw during our tour was a responsible business owner, tenant and neighbor who is providing a service to a community who feels very strongly about this market.”
He added that Vivero Macca Live Poultry did not present an overwhelming smell despite housing livestock, as some residents claimed.
The person allegedly behind these most recent complaints is an anti-Moslem neighbor, according to Marmorato.
