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Catering waste can be a major source of disease if fed to farmed animals. In order to prevent the spread of these infectious diseases you must now register your site if you supply, use or handle animal food.

It has been illegal to feed catering waste to farmed animals in the UK since 2001, this ban was adopted by the whole European Community in 2003. If you are convicted of feeding catering waste to farmed animals you can be fined or sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison.

This law was introduced to help prevent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and other animal diseases such as swine fever. Unfortunately catering waste can be a major source of spreading these diseases.

Therefore, you cannot feed any kind of catering waste to farmed animals. Catering waste is defined as all waste food, whether raw or cooked, including used cooking oils (UCO), which arise in premises such as:

  • Household kitchens
  • Restaurants
  • Fish and Chips/Pizza/Kebab shops
  • Takeaway shops
  • Canteens
  • Cafes
  • Vegetarian kitchens/restaurants

It also includes food waste from other premises, such as food factories, distribution warehouses etc, that contains or has been in contact with animal by-products, such as raw eggs, meat, and fish products. This must not be fed to farmed animals.

The term 'Farmed animals' include any pet animals that belong to a farmed species, such as pet pigs, goats and poultry.

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