Author Topic: Licence to sell pig products (Read 5825 times)

Barrett · « **on:** July 06, 2011, 03:53:15 pm »

Confused.com
I sell my yummy sausages to our local pub who I have managed to get onto the main menu

I was asked if I had any licence, now to my knowledge as long as you don't handle to raw meat you do not need a licence, I collect from butcher and take to pub. Anybody with knowledge of this please HELP!!!.

Sarah Barrett

nails · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2011, 04:06:19 pm »

I believe that to be true to, my butcher has the licence to prop the meat, and then i sell it, will be interested to see what others think.

robert waddell · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2011, 04:10:40 pm »

first the meat has to be sliced and diced on approved premises also transported to the butcher from slaughter house in refrigerated transport
if the pub is selling your pork as GOS your pigs have to be pedigree birth notified or they will be done by trading standards the GOS site explaines this now it is my understanding that the same would apply to other breeds of pig(the BPA is quite clear on this they state a pig without paper work is just that A PIG cant call it any breed even if it looks like what you call it)
before delving further into this i would clarify with your customer what they are asking for in respect of licence or paper work

Barrett · « **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2011, 04:16:11 pm »

Thanks for advice Robert, no name of the pig is used just locally reared pork sausage, it is a bit of a minefield I think your damned if you do and damned if you don't, us as bonkers pig lovers also want the rest of the world to enjoy what we enjoy and hopefully cover some keep costs at the same time.

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2011, 05:23:42 pm »

Barrett,

You are in a minefield area, and my understanding is only second hand, so please don't rely directly on this.

A butcher (as opposed to a cutting plant) can legally cut and sell to the restaurant. They can also sell to you as final consumer. However my understanding is that you cannot legally resell that meat to a restaurant, only as a private sale to a private end customer. Any "at the gate" sales (eg sign on farm gate) from a butcher to general public are technically illegal, although this aspect is not often persued directly by TS if small scale and occasional.

If cut in a cutting plant (a cutting plant is one where a meat hygiene inspector is present), then it can be sold on to restaurant or to public, and sign at farm gate would be legal if the hygiene reqs are met.

However any steps from cutting plant to customer - eg delivery to restaurant would need to comply with Hassup principles, and a refrigerated van would on most cases be needed - two aspects a) refrigerated to keep meat cool, b) van ie separate area where only meat is carried. A short journey with say a cool box might meet the reqs, but carry in a carrier bag on the back seat wouldn't !

As a supplier to the public (the restaurant counting as this) I strongly suspect you would also need to be registered as a food suplier with local authorities - hence the "licence" bit, and TS would want to understand how you are achieving this. The following is interesting http://www.rushmoor.gov.uk/index.cfm?Articleid=9736, and you might be exempt (or not!)

Since various governments over time have decided that we the general public should be relieved of any responsibility in making sure our food is fit to eat, these regulations are needed.

Barrett · « **Reply #5 on:** July 06, 2011, 09:27:18 pm »

Thanks Oaklands, I am even more confused, The last thing I want to do is drop anybody in it perhaps I need to confirm things once and for all with DEFRA or Environmental Health just to make sure.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2011, 09:40:37 pm »

why dont u get the restaurant to buy the whole finished pig off u and do it all for sausages in one go?

robert waddell · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2011, 09:42:25 pm »

if you have a market for your product try to preserve it
find out what exactly the pub is looking for
try to avoid defra
if you get on well with trading standards they will help you out by asking you are trying
i know of someone who sells up to 4 pigs per week at markets and they are delivered to butcher they help with the slicing and dicing vac packed and sold the next day
maybe each area is different

Barrett · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2011, 09:53:31 pm »

I don't really know what to say there seems to be to many rules and regulations for the common person to reach anybody, the meat is vac packed from the butcher and I deliver it the same day to the pub, I however would still want somebody to say no your fine doing what you are doing, still confused.com

robert waddell · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2011, 10:04:42 pm »

it would be highly inappropriate for anybody on this forum to tell you what you want to hear unless they have went through the hoops themselves
contact trading standards they rub shoulders with environmental health