Farm slaughter rule

18 January 2002

Farm slaughter rule

FARMERS will be breaking the law if they use an on-farm slaughterman to kill and prepare an animal for the freezer, according to new guidance from the Food Standards Agency.

The food safety watchdog says producers who want an animal killed for their own familys consumption must kill and cut it up themselves on-farm or take it to a licensed slaughterhouse.

Julia Wrathall, deputy head of the RSPCAs farm animal department, said it was hard to understand why it was lawful for an individual to slaughter an animal but not a slaughterman. &#42

"If people arent trained and arent competent and dont have the right equipment then they shouldnt do it."