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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 25 February 2026. Recent changes to the MOC can be found in the revision log.
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.
References to EU legislation in FSA guidance
Directly applicable EU legislation no longer applies in GB. EU legislation retained when the UK exited the EU became assimilated law on 1 January 2024, published on legislation.gov.uk. References to any legislation in FSA guidance with ‘EU’ or ‘EC’ in the title (e.g. Regulation (EC) 178/2002) should now be regarded as assimilated law where applicable to GB. References to ‘Retained EU Law’ or ‘REUL’ should now be regarded as references to assimilated law.
For businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, information on the Windsor Framework is available on GOV.UK.
The Windsor Framework was adopted by the UK and EU on 24 March 2023. The Framework provides a unique set of arrangements to support the flow of agrifood retail products from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), allowing GB standards for public health in relation to food, marketing and organics to apply for pre-packed retail goods moved via the NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS).
England and Wales
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Temporary Operational Instructions (TOIs)
England and Wales
England and Wales
Manual for Official Controls revision log: amendment 112
The following revisions to Manual for Official Controls documentation have been made as of 25 February 2026.
Chapter 2.1
- 2.1.7 - realigned sampling requirements for broilers, chicken breeders and turkeys with the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) Salmonella National Control Programme
- annex 11 - added email address for registered keeper
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.2
- 5.4.2 - added instruction to copy Field Veterinary Co-ordinator (FVC) in referrals to local authorities
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.3
- clarified FSA's role around the role carried out by Service Delivery Partner, Field Veterinary Lead, Field Veterinary Coordinator and Veterinary Enforcement Delivery Manager teams
- 1.1.4 - moved guidance on welfare referrals to section 3
- 2.1.2 - added guidance on shackle line stoppages
- 3.1.2 - amended guidance on holding Temporary Certificate of Competence (TCoC) and Certificate of Competence (CoC) records
- 3.2.2 - updated guidance on reporting welfare in transport referrals
- 3.3.1 - removed referrals guidance
- 3.3.2 - added guidance on scoring for cows with shackles
- 3.5.1 - moved local authority and APHA details to section 3.2.2
- 5.2 - added aide memoire on CCTV viewing
- 5.2 - clarified CCTV viewing requirements
- 6.1.7 - added link to online CoC applications
- annex 2 - amended legislation reference to AEUL EC No 1099/2009
- annex 22 - new annex containing guidance on stun to stick intervals in cattle from Humane Slaughter Association (HSA), Andy Grist and British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.4
- 12.4.4 - updated poultry rejection checks section
- 12.4.6 - updated poultry rejection checks section
- 12.7.1 - added Official Veterinarian (OV) requirement for recording Campylobacter testing in CaPTa
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.5
- 4.11.4 - updated horse passport return instructions in the event of a positive RIM sample
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.6
- annex 5 - sheep and goat scrapie survey - old annex removed new annex number 7 added as a replacement by link to form in Eurofins website
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.9
- 2.9 - new section added on how to carry out referrals to other government departments (OGDs) during dairy hygiene visits (this process is currently on a Temporary Operational Instruction (TOI))
- 3.8 - new section added on how to carry out referrals to OGDs during dairy AH visits (this process is currently on a ToI)
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 2.10
- 1.6.2 - 1 point removed, relating to the Slaughter Hygiene Verification (SHV), which is already included in the SHV chapter
- annex 1 - box 12 amended, and minor amend made to the legislative reference at the top of the form
- annex 3 - reference to contact CSU replaced by contact Business Services at business.services@food.gov.uk
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 3
- 2.5.11 - email iit@defra.gov.uk removed after advice from Defra that it is no longer used
- 3.3.2 - wording amended in the table of the forms to be completed by the OV: Random Re-Inspection Checks - Form 5: One box of meat and one box of offal. Every production shift
- annex 5 - updated export audit report template
- annex 7f1 - removed third country approval checklist (South Korea - Pork)
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 4.1
- 4.3.9 - updated how the audit closing meeting can take place
- 4.6.2 - added paragraph to explain how Food Business Operator (FBO) can opt out of Extended Audit Frequency
- annex 1 - added paragraph to explain how FBO can opt out of Extended Audit Frequency
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 4.3
- section 3 - updated sections 3.4.2, 3.4.3.2, 3.4.4 and 3.10.2 with the Campylobacter requirements
annex 2 - Campylobacter result analysis and sampling frequencies table amended - corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 5.1
- 2.1.7 - added reference to actions following positive samples from horses
- 2.3.1 - added instructions for sampling of pig casings
- 2.10.6 - added missing reference to liver sampling
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 6
- 1.1.4 - added line to highlight importance of biosecurity
- 2.1.2 - updated link to African Swine Fever
- 8.12.1 - added information for GAVI code
- 9.1.1 - added link to latest foot and mouth control strategy
- annex 28 - formatting error in signatures corrected
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Chapter 7
- 2.3.4 - added text and references to correct service of documents under different legislative areas
- 2.5.20 - added guidance on AOs powers to seize documents and records under the legislation when fraud or obstruction is suspected
- 4.1.1 - added references to CCTV Notices in the table on hierarchy of enforcement
- 4.1.2.3 - added text on the new procedure for escalating animal by products (ABP) and TSE Schedule 2 enforcement to Defra and WG as the decision makers
- 4.5.9 and 4.6.13 - added text to explain what procedure to follow where the FBO appeals a RAN or HIN, but complies with the notice prior to the appeal hearing
- 4.8 - updated the procedure for serving a HEPN and for applying to the court for a HEPO
- 4.7.2 - removed reference to the Code of Practice and updated HEPN legal references
- 4.10.2 - updated the referral for investigation procedure to reflect what action the AO should take when an FBO complies with a formal notice after the breach has been referred for investigation
- 5.4.2 - clarified when the likelihood factors for a low risk issue should be reassessed in the risk based enforcement process
- annex 24 - added a new proforma to record documents and records that have been formally seized as evidence
- corrected minor typographical errors and inconsistencies
Revision log
Published: 11 April 2018
Last updated: 27 February 2026