Scottish feed, animal transport and animal by-products: register, authorise and dispose

If you trade in feed, move live animals or handle animal by-products in Scotland, three separate regimes apply to you. Each has its own regulations, its own regulator and its own register or authorisation. This guide covers all three, because businesses that wholesale or distribute agricultural goods often meet them together.

England has its own feed, animal transport and animal by-products regulations. This guide does not cover them, and the Scottish rules cannot be used for a site in England.

Which rules apply to you

• You make, store, sell, transport or use animal feed: register with Food Standards Scotland, or get approved if you handle feed additives or premixtures.
• You transport live animals for business: get a transporter authorisation for journeys over 65 km, make sure your drivers hold certificates of competence and follow the welfare-in-transit rules.
• You produce, collect, store or dispose of animal by-products or fallen stock: register or get approved, collect and label material by category, and never bury or burn fallen stock outside the remote area.

Feed business registration

Transporter authorisation and welfare in transit

Animal by-products

The three regimes side by side

Steps to get compliant

1. List your activities. Do you make, store, sell, transport or use feed? Do you move live animals more than 65 km? Do you handle fallen stock, slaughterhouse waste or other animal by-products?
2. Register or apply. Register your feed business with Food Standards Scotland. Apply for Type 1 or Type 2 transporter authorisation. Notify or apply to the Scottish Ministers for by-product registration or approval.
3. Sort out competence and vehicles. Make sure drivers and attendants hold certificates of competence and that vehicles and containers are suitable and, for long journeys, approved.
4. Set up traceability. Keep feed traceability records, animal transport documents for 6 months after each journey, and commercial documents for by-product consignments.
5. Plan fallen stock disposal. Choose an approved operator, an approved incinerator or the National Fallen Stock Scheme, and know who to call within 24 hours for cattle over 48 months.
6. Keep your authorisations and documents to hand. Carry the transporter authorisation or a copy. Keep your registration numbers where an officer can see them.