Ensure your sheep and goats are identified correctly before they go for slaughter

The NFU is reminding its members this week of the new regulations imposed by the Food Standards Agency and the Meat Hygiene Service.

From 1st of January all sheep and goats must be identified with a UK or S tag when entering a slaughter house. It will become the slaughterhouse operators' responsibility to guarantee that all animals accepted onto the slaughterhouse premises are 'properly identified'. The Official Veterinarian will ensure that 'animals whose identity is not reasonably ascertainable are killed separately and declared unfit for human consumption'.

Information about approved methods of identification of sheep can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tracing/sheep

The Food Standards Agency and the Meat Hygiene Service

accept that the identity of the occasional individual sheep, bearing no means of identification but clearly part of a batch whose provenance is known, may be considered 'reasonably identifiable'.

The NFU does not want its members to forfeit the value of animals that are sent for slaughter after 1 January because of a lack of identification.