The owner of a new Auckland butchery that is under fire for appearing to improperly store its meat during fit-out says it has been misrepresented on social media and is “proud of the standards we uphold”.

Auckland Council told the Herald it hadn’t received any complaints about Shefco Meats after the post, but it believed the way the meat was stored violated health and food safety standards.

A food safety officer is now investigating.

A member of the public walking along Dawson Rd yesterday passed the new Flat Bush branch of Shefco Meats on its first day open.

Pictured inside one of the back rooms were several animal carcasses, stored in cardboard boxes and stacked atop a supermarket trolley.

Sharing the images in the community Facebook group, Otara 274, the individual wrote: “Was looking forward to the new butcher. But then I saw this.

A member of the public spotted carcasses stacked in cardboard boxes and a supermarket trolley inside Shefco Meats' new Flat Bush branch. Photo / Facebook

“A-grade yeah nah.”

In a since-deleted reply to the post, Shefco’s owner said they had temporarily stored the carcasses in “clean trolleys and boxes” while installing a meat rail in the same room.

“Absolutely nothing was placed on the floor,” they wrote.

“We take hygiene and food safety very seriously and are proud of the standards we uphold.

“It’s disappointing that someone may have misunderstood or misrepresented the situation, especially as we’ve worked hard to bring something new and good to the Dawson Rd community.

“We invite anyone to come see the shop and our processes for themselves – transparency is important to us, and we’re always happy to answer questions.”

Shefco Meats insists the images do not reflect its hygiene standards. Photo / Facebook

The Herald has approached the owner for comment.

Alan Ahmu, Auckland Council’s environmental health response team leader, said it planned to investigate “as soon as possible”.

“The storage of meat carcasses, based on the image, does appear to be improper,” Ahmu said.

“Our food safety officer will need to assess the storage and condition of the meat before we can determine whether the food items are suitable for sale.”

Shefco Meats also operates at an address in Stoddard Rd, Mt Albert.

The Food Act 2014 and Food Regulations Act 2015 stipulate any food at the premises of a food business is considered to be for commercial use.

Such businesses are required to take active steps to ensure the food kept on-site meets strict health and safety regulations and is safe for consumption.