The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a 12-week public consultation on proposals, which it said would provide a 90% discount on regulatory charges for all the smallest abattoirs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
FSA official veterinarians (OVs) and meat hygiene inspectors carry out daily checks to make sure food safety and animal welfare standards are met in abattoirs. FSA said this work keeps consumers safe, upholds public trust in the meat industry and enables businesses to export, supporting the UK’s £11 billion meat sector.
It stated that the new proposals would better target support for smaller abattoirs, as they currently face a “proportionately higher regulatory burden per animal” than larger abattoirs.
The body said that extensive engagement with industry and stakeholders “highlighted the important role small abattoirs play in communities and consumer choice”. FSA said the abattoirs supported farmers who specialise in rarer breeds, while also giving the public the option to buy local, and highlighted that its revised proposals “have been developed with these benefits in mind”.
Under the proposals, in England and Wales:
- Over half of abattoirs would receive some support on a sliding scale.
- Nearly a third of abattoirs - those processing up to 1,000 LSU (Livestock Units) per year for red meat, or 150,000 birds annually for poultry/small game - would receive maximum support, with a 90% discount on charges. This is up 50% on the number receiving maximum support under the current system.
- Larger abattoirs would no longer be eligible for support.
James Cooper, deputy director of Food Policy at the FSA, commented: “Smaller abattoirs can play a vital role in local communities and the wider food chain, and these proposals would give the smallest businesses the certainty of maximum support.
“We’ve listened carefully to the sector since we began this work in 2024, and we’d encourage everyone with an interest to respond to this consultation. We remain committed to working across government to support the meat industry and make sure people have food they can trust.”
Commenting on the announcement, a spokesperson for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) said: “Small slaughterhouses will be protected under the FSA’s proposals from the exorbitant cost of FSA’s controls, but most of the industry will be severely affected, plants will close and animal welfare will be adversely affected as travel times increase.”
