Slaughterer
- Regulators
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- Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Food Standards Agency
- Nations
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- England
- Sectors
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- Other
Regulatory or professional bodies
Primary regulator
- Regulatory authority
- Food Standards Agency
- Address
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Floors 6 and 7
Clive House
70 Petty France
London
SW1H 9EX - Email address
- helpline@food.gov.uk
- Website
- https://www.food.gov.uk
- Phone number
- +44 (0)330 332 7149
Additional regulator
- Regulatory authority
- Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Address
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Nobel House, 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR - Email address
- defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk
- Phone number
- +44 (0)3459 335 577
Regulation
Regulation summary
Article 7 of retained regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing (PATOK) requires that killing and related operations shall only be carried out by someone with the appropriate level of competence to do so without causing animals avoidable pain, distress or suffering. Slaughter operations can only be carried out by a person holding a Certificate of Competence for such operations.
Article 21(2) of PATOK enables the Food Standards Agency (FSA), under delegation from Defra to issue Certificates of Competence and temporary Certificates of Competence.
Article 21(3) of PATOK requires that Certificates of competence shall indicate for which categories of animals, type of equipment and for which of the operations listed in Article 7(2) or (3) the certificate is valid.
The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 and the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014 implement the requirements of PATOK relating to Certificates of Competence and temporary Certificates of Competence.
Regulation type
Reserved activities
Anyone carrying out certain slaughter operations involving live animals up to the point of death (not unconsciousness) must hold a Certificate of Competence (CoC), under the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) Regulations.
A Certificate of Competence (CoC) from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is needed to do any of the following in an FSA-approved slaughterhouse:
• handle animals before they’re restrained
• restrain animals for stunning or killing
• stun animals
• check stunning has worked
• shackle or hoisting live animals
• bleed live animals
• religious slaughter
• pithing of a stunned animal
• check pithing has worked
- More about regulated activities and titles
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32009R1099&from=EN
Qualifications and experience
New professionals
- Routes to qualification
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To become qualified Slaughterer:
(1) Register to train with an approved trainer accredited by the FDQ
(2) Provide evidence of registration to the Official Veterinarian (OV) to obtain a temporary Certificate of Competence (CoC)
(3) During the 3 months the temporary CoC is valid,
(a) Training must be completed
(b) The assessment successfully passed.
(4) Apply for a full CoC using the qualification certificate. - More about qualification
- https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/slaughter-licensing
Professionals from other UK nations
- Routes to recognition within the UK
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If you have a CoC or a WATOK licence issued in Northern Ireland or Scotland, you can use it in England and Wales for the procedures, equipment and animals listed
- More about recognition within the UK
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-certificate-of-competence-or-licence-to-slaughter-or-kill-animals
Professionals from outside the UK
- Recognition for professionals outside the UK
- Some - qualifications from some countries may be recognised, but professionals from other countries will have to re-qualify
- Summary of routes
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As the UK has left the EU, a CoC issued anywhere other than in the UK is no longer valid and cannot be accepted to carry out duties in approved slaughterhouses. Citizens from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) can apply for a UK CoC with details of their current ROI CoC, and the appropriate fee. A UK CoC will be issued on an equivalence basis for the same species and operations
- More about recognition for professionals outside the UK
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-certificate-of-competence-or-licence-to-slaughter-or-kill-animals
Registration
- Registration requirements
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You must apply to the FSA for a Temporary Certificate of Competence (TCoC) or a full Certificate of Competence (CoC). There is an application fee of £25 for a full CoC.
Legislation
- Title of relevant act or charter
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The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015
- Website link to legislation
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1782/contents
- Title of relevant act or charter
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Protection of Animals and the Time of Killing
- Website link to legislation
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32009R1099&from=EN