Animal by-products and food waste

Animal by-products are entire animal bodies, parts of animals, products of animal origin or other products obtained from animals that are not intended to be eaten by humans.

Businesses that are likely to deal with animal by-products include:

• food retailers and manufacturers
• catering outlets
• butchers
• farmers
• gamekeepers
• animal feed suppliers
• vets

Animal by-products are regulated to protect human and animal health, as well as the environment. There are rules for collecting, storing, transporting, handling, processing, using and disposing of animal by-products. You may also need to comply with controls on the marketing and export of animal by-products and products derived from them.

This guide explains what animal by-products are. It describes the various animal by-product categories, and tells you how to handle, store and transport animal by-products. Finally, it explains how to dispose of animal by-products, animal carcasses and food and catering waste.