Animal by-products and food waste

Animal by-products (ABPs) are entire animal bodies, parts of animals, products of animal origin or other products obtained from animals (including fish) that are not intended for human consumption. 

Examples of animal by-products

ABPs include:

• carcasses, butcher and slaughterhouse waste, fallen stock, and dead pets
• manure, digestive content from pigs, cattle and chickens
• ova, embryos and semen which are not intended for breeding purposes
• blood, hides, skins, hooves and horns, feathers, wool, hair and fur
• shellfish and crustacean waste
• food waste of animal or fish origin no longer intended for human consumption - including expired eggs and milk, and used cooking oil

Meat, fish and other material from animals become ABPs when the material is no longer intended for human consumption. This is the case even if the material is still edible.

Detailed guidance on animal by-products is available from the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Exemptions (no ABP rules apply)

ABP controls do not generally apply to:

• raw pet food sold directly to consumers
• liquid milk and colostrum disposed of or used on the farm where it was produced
• wild animals that are not suspected of carrying an infectious disease
• excrement from domestic pets, zoo or circus animals, horse stables or wild animals, eg pigeon droppings
• catering waste, unless it is to be used as animal feed, is going to a composting or biogas plant, or is from international transport, ie from aircraft or ships operating outside the European Union

Catering waste is waste food from:

• restaurants
• catering facilities, eg in offices
• household kitchens

If ABP controls do not apply to your waste, you must comply with your duty of care for business waste and food waste rules when disposing of food and catering waste.

Animal by-products risks to health

ABPs pose potential risks to public and animal health. Improper use of animal by-products has caused outbreaks of serious diseases such as:

• foot and mouth disease
• classical swine fever
• avian influenza
• Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) 

There are rules in place to control these risks by setting out how you must collect, store, transport, treat, use and dispose of animal by-products.