Think before you bin! Disposal of waste food by retail premises under the Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published this booklet setting out the requirements for the disposal of food by retail premises under the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005 and EC Regulation No. 1774/2002.
The ABPR covers a wide range of businesses, not just ‘conventional’ food retailers such as grocers and supermarkets.
· Butchers
· Bakers
· Fishmongers
· Large food retailers
· Supermarkets (including those with in store cafes)
· Convenience stores
· Market stalls that sell meat and fish, whether
raw or cooked
· Manufacturers of ready to eat foods, tinned foods
and sandwiches that contain meat, fish or other products
of animal origin
· Food distributors
· Wholesalers – cash and carry type stores
Food that CANNOT go to landfill or be used as animal feed (Category 3 material)
Raw meat and fish
The food that cannot be landfilled includes:
· raw sausages, bacon and gammon
· raw burgers
· rare cooked meat (pink meat)
· beef jerky
· salami, Parma and Serrano ham
· raw poultry
· raw fish
· smoked salmon
· sashimi (raw fish) or sushi containing sashimi
· frozen raw meat
· raw eggs
Such foods should be disposed of separately in a marked bin. They should be:
· stored away from cooked food
· labelled ‘Not for human consumption’
· sent to an approved plant (those disposing of such foods must check their collectors)
· subject to record keeping requirements. A record should be kept of material sent, where it was sent to, who transported it and the date it was sent. These records must be kept for two years.
The government's list of approved rendering plants can be found at :
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/approvals/4.pdf
Food that CAN go to landfill
Cooked meat and fish
Included amongst the foods that can be sent to landfill are:
· cooked ham
· ready meals
· cooked pies
· lard and goose fat
· tinned meat and fish
· dips with cooked meat
· pies and pasties (including sausage rolls)
· Frankfurters and cocktail sausages
· honey in bulk (in sealed containers)
These foods can be disposed of in an ordinary waste disposal bin.They should not, however, be fed to livestock. They must be separated from any products permitted to be fed to livestock.
Food that CAN go to landfill
Bakery products
This section includes:
· bread
· cakes
· pastry
· biscuits
· pasta
· chocolate
· breakfast cereal.
All unsold fruit and vegetables can also be land filled.
The foods in this section may be disposed of in an ordinary waste disposal bin. They may also be fed to livestock, but checks must be made with the relevant local authority beforehand.
Points to bear in mind
The booklet emphasises the following:
· raw meat and other uncooked products of animal origin can spread animal diseases, such as Foot and Mouth Disease. It is imperative that unsold material of this nature is disposed properly
· it is not safe to feed the majority of waste food to livestock. Checks should be made with the relevant local authority if retail premises are asked to supply food for feeding to animals
· in order to protect the environment and reduce costs, consideration should be given to ways in which waste can be reduced or recycled
· uncooked meat, fish and eggs must be sent to an approved outlet, namely: rendering plant, incinerator, alkaline hydrolysis plant, technical plant, composting or biogas plant, or pet food plant.
For further information, contact the local Defra Animal Health Office or Defra’s helpline: 08459 335577
All relevant documentation for the ABPR, including a handy summary leaflet can be obtained at : Defra, UK - Animal health and welfare - Animal by-products
Think before you bin! Leaflet from Defra
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