The end of butchers' shop licensing
Butchers' shop licensing is being withdrawn across the UK from the end of 2005. From 1 January 2006, all retail butchers will be subject to the new EC hygiene regulations that apply to all other retail and catering businesses.
These regulations are very similar to the existing hygiene rules, but include a new requirement to operate HACCP-based food safety management procedures.
The decision to discontinue licensing was made at an open FSA Board meeting on 10 March 2005 and was informed by a full stakeholder consultation. A policy review had found that the new regulations offer an equivalent level of public health protection to the licensing scheme, which had only ever been envisaged as a temporary measure pending the introduction of HACCP in all food businesses through these EC regulations.
To avoid the unnecessary bureaucracy of authorities and businesses having to go through the annual November re-licensing round for the sake of one month before the scheme's end, the Agency also extended the validity of existing licences in England to the end of the year. Again, this was the subject of a full public consultation. A similar approach was taken in Scotland and Northern Ireland, although not in Wales where the licensing round is much earlier in the year.
What now for butchers selling raw meat and ready-to-eat foods?
From 1 January 2006 such businesses will no longer require a licence to operate, but will still have to register with their local authority and operate HACCP-based food safety management procedures. Previously licensed butchers should therefore maintain their approach to food safety management and butchers wanting to sell raw meat and ready-to-eat foods for the first time should have these systems in place.
In addition to this, those responsible for the development and maintenance of the HACCP-based procedures will require adequate training in the application of HACCP principles and all staff should receive adequate training and/or instruction in food hygiene. FSA guidance on the new hygiene legislation that applies from 2006 is available.
The licensing scheme
Butchers' shop licensing was introduced in England in May 2000 following a recommendation from the Pennington Group , which examined the fatal outbreak of E.coli O157 food poisoning in central Scotland in 1996. The Pennington Group recommended licensing of butcher shops as a temporary measure, pending the introduction of a HACCP requirement for all food businesses through EU legislation.
The licensing rules required all retail butchers selling both un-wrapped raw meat and ready-to-eat food to be licensed by their local food authority. Licensable butchers had to operate HACCP procedures, have enhanced staff HACCP and hygiene training and comply with all general food hygiene and temperature control requirements. Licences issued by local food authorities cost £100 and remained in force for a period of one year.
Evaluations of the scheme conducted in England and Scotland in 2002 showed that hygiene standards in butcher shops had, on the whole, improved as a result of the initiative.
Find out more
Evaluation of Butchers' Shop Licensing in England
The Food Standards Agency commissioned two studies to evaluate the impact of Butchers' Licensing on hygiene practices and the operation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety management controls in licensed butcher shops in England.
Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) (Butchers' Shops) Amendment Regulations 2000
Regulatory Impact Assessment