Manual for official controls
Legal requirements and standards for approved meat establishments.
Once your premises have been approved, you will find the Manual for Official Controls (MOC) beneficial for further information.
The MOC describes the tasks, responsibilities and duties of our staff carrying out official controls in approved establishments.
Manual for Official Controls guidance
The Manual for Official Controls documentation is accurate as of 18 January 2022. Recent changes to the MOC can be found in the revision log.
Important
EU references in FSA guidance documents
The FSA is updating all EU references, to accurately reflect the law now in force, in all new or amended guidance published since the Transition Period ended at the end of 2020. In some circumstances it may not always be practicable for us to have all EU references updated at the point we publish new or amended guidance.
Other than in Northern Ireland, any references to EU Regulations in this guidance should be read as meaning retained EU law. You can access retained EU law via HM Government EU Exit Web Archive. This should be read alongside any EU Exit legislation that was made to ensure retained EU law operates correctly in a UK context. EU Exit legislation is on legislation.gov.uk.
In Northern Ireland, EU law will continue to apply in respect to the majority of food and feed hygiene and safety law, as listed in the Northern Ireland Protocol, and retained EU law will not apply to Northern Ireland in these circumstances.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) carry out meat hygiene official controls in approved establishments on behalf of us in Northern Ireland.
The MOC describes the tasks, responsibilities and duties of DAERA officials carrying out official controls in approved establishments on behalf of us. This is maintained and updated by DAERA and can be found on their website.
England and Wales
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Manual for Official Controls revision log
The following revisions to Manual for Official Controls documentation have been made as of 18 January 2022:
Chapter 7
- Minor typographic corrections.
The following revisions to Manual for Official Controls documentation have been made as of 4 January 2022:
Chapter 1
- Section 3.5.1 - Updated to replace hyperlink and change name from Digital workplace to ‘FSA Intranet’. Added notice that this can only be accessed by FSA Staff on FSA Devices.
- Section 3.5.2 - Updated to replace hyperlink and change name from Digital workplace to ‘FSA Intranet’. Added notice that this can only be accessed by FSA Staff on FSA Devices.
- Section 3.5.3 - Corrected reference to Regulation 852/2004.
- Corrected paragraph spacing throughout chapter.
Chapter 2.3
- Multiple format changes and amendments throughout.
- Section 3.3 - Referral to LA/APHA. Enhancements to OV actions when referring incidents to LA/ APHA.
- Section 3.2.2 - Clarification on contacting the Local Authority.
- Section 3.3.1 - Clarification on breach types and on referring incidents to APHA/LA.
- Section 3.2.2 - Clarification on breach types.
- Section 3.3.2 - Clarification on referring DOA incidents.
- Section 3.3.3 - Clarification on referring lame animals or animals injured during transport.
- Section 3.3.4 - Clarification on gathering of evidence.
- Section 5.2 - Clarification on requirement for daily viewing of CCTV.
- Section 5.2 - Clarifies who needs a CoC.
- Section 6.2.3 - Additional code for monitoring for signs of life (WATOK licence only).
- Section 6.3.4 - Considerations for suspension/revocation of CoC.
- Section 6.3.5 - Clarification on lifting suspension following assessment.
- Section 7.1.4 - Reference to new annex 19 for withdrawal of a notice.
- Annex 2a - Simplification of the text. Format change to the table (separation of the 4th and 5th rows).
- Annex 2c - Removal of a paragraph that Implies a file will be sent to CPS in all cases.
- Annex 19 - This is a new annex and allows a letter to be issued when a Welfare Enforcement notice has been withdrawn due to an error or problem with service of the notice.
Chapter 2.12
- (new) New chapter on Edible Co-Products.
Chapter 5.2
- Instructions for AMR sampling.
- Annex 1 in Chapter 5.2 - (replacement) Instructions for AMR sampling.
- Annex 3 in Chapter 5.2 - (replacement) Instructions for AMR sampling.
- Annex 4 in Chapter 5.2 - (new) Instructions for AMR sampling.
- Annex 5 in Chapter 5.2 - (new) Instructions for AMR sampling.
Chapter 6
- Subchapter 7.3.7 and 7.3.9 - Note about conditions when bovine from restricted premises permitted to travel in the same vehicle with animals from non-restricted premises.
- Subchapter 7.8.4 - Correction of the number of sampling codes. More details added to the table with the sampling codes, including the rules for sampling Reactors originating in Wales.
- Subchapter 7.8.6, 7.8.7, 7.8.9 and 7.13.1 - More details added regarding the way the NVL and atypical lesions from animals from herds in Wales should be collected/ submitted (broncho-mediastinal and retropharyngeal LNs need to be submitted separately in two different pots marked as BM and RP respectively, in addition to the pot with atypical lesion.
- Subchapter 8 - Minor changes across the chapter. Clarification on the designation process. Amendments to annexes 25, 26, 27 & 28.
Chapter 7
- Typographical changes throughout.
- Changes references for legislation to legislation.gov.
- Section 3 - Updates to official detention to clarify powers and definitions.
- Section 4.3.4 - New unique referencing system for enforcement documents.
- Section 4.5.12 and 4.6.12 - Instruction to send formal documents with proof of posting and not recorded delivery if the FBO has a history of refusing to accept formal documents.
- Section 4.9 and 4.10 - Reference to animal welfare triage panel added.
- Section 4.12.2 - Clarification on issuing a fresh notice where an FBO changes at an establishment.
- Updating Chronos references.
- Chapter 7 Annex 2 (Enforcement Policy) - Simple Cautions Provisions removed.
- General legislative references updated and typos amended.
- Clarification on the conditions under which animals and food can be detained and declared unfit.