Lady Joy Rest Home in Aramoho has received an official warning for illegally serving homekilled meat to its residents.
Director Stephen Poynter told investigators he did not realise it was illegal, and his family had eaten the same meat.
Ministry of Primary Industries investigators visited the rest home on March 24 and found 78kg of bagged and frozen beef in a freezer, meat from a cattle beast that had been born and raised on the director's property, then slaughtered and processed by a registered homekill operator.
The visit was sparked after an anonymous member of the public sent out a letter to the Whanganui District Health Board and the Wanganui Chronicle claiming the directors of the rest home were routinely serving homekill beef and pork products to their residents.
The letter writer pointed to parts of the Animal Products Act 1999 saying homekill product could not be provided as food to customers or paying guests.
Mr Poynter said the processing of the animals had now changed.
"The prime Hereford was owned by the residents at birth, born and raised at the rest home's surrounding 30 acres and formed part of the recreational programme," Mr Poynter told the Chronicle.
"The residents are able to continue to enjoy their own prime Hereford, processing is simply changed from the professional licensed homekilling company to Affco."
A statement from the ministry said home-kill meat was not allowed to be served to residents as it was not inspected by a vet for disease, and consumers had no guarantee it had been processed hygienically.
"Although providing homekill meat to the rest home residents was illegal, the meat was processed correctly as homekill and then frozen prior to cooking, which considerably lessened the risk to those eating it," the statement said.
"MPI issued an official warning to the rest home and the director involved and is undertaking a programme of unannounced food safety inspections ..." "