Sheep carcase classification in Scotland

Regulatory criteria

Approved slaughterhouses in Scotland with a throughput of at least 500 or more sheep per week must register with the Scottish Government and comply with the regulations.

The number of sheep per week is calculated on a rolling annual average basis. The Scottish Government will monitor this using data provided by Food Standards Scotland (FSS). If your weekly throughput is 500 or more or rises to more than 500 at any point, and you have not registered, the Scottish Government will contact you to ask you to register. 

If you slaughter fewer than 500 sheep per week, you can volunteer to have the regulations apply to your slaughterhouse. To do this, you will need to register with the Scottish Government. Once registered, you must meet all the regulatory requirements for at least 12 months.

Approved slaughterhouses are those which:

• are used for slaughtering sheep for meat
• meet EU and UK requirements for hygiene rules for food of animal origin

Regulatory requirements

The majority of the regulatory requirements relate only to sheep aged less than 12 months at the time of slaughter.

However, you must allocate a unique kill number to every sheep carcase slaughtered in your approved slaughterhouse, regardless of age.

The kill number must identify the carcase and the batch of animals it came from.

Sheep aged less than 12 months at slaughter

A sheep is deemed to be ‘aged less than 12 months’ if it does not have a permanent incisor erupted through the gum.

You must categorise and grade (classify) all carcases from sheep aged less than 12 months at the time of slaughter based on fat and conformation.

You must follow the rules on:

• categorising, presenting (hanging and dressing) and weighing
• labelling
• communicating classification results to suppliers
• record keeping
• inspections, enforcement and penalties
• licencing of classifiers
• licencing of automated classification methods (from 2027)
• price reporting

If you are an approved slaughterhouse that meets the mandatory throughput requirements, you will have received a registration form that must have been completed by 12 January 2026.

If your slaughterhouse meets these requirements after 12 January 2026, you must register it with the Scottish Government within 28 days. You must complete all required parts of the registration form. Please send your completed registration form to: MLI@gov.scot.

If you do not meet the required throughput but do wish to be covered by the legislation, please complete the registration form and send it to MLI@gov.scot.  

If your details change after registering

You must let the Scottish Government know in writing by email to MLI@gov.scot within 28 days of any changes to the information you give us.

This includes a change to the:

• name or address of the operators
• address, telephone number or approval number of the slaughterhouse
• registration number of the business

You must tell the Scottish Government in writing within 10 days if :

• your slaughterhouse ceases trading
• following the first 12 months of voluntary registration you wish to withdraw from being covered by the legislation
• your registration is mandatory, but throughput reduces consistently to below 500 sheep per week

Licence to classify carcases

When slaughtering sheep, slaughterhouses must use a licenced classifier to classify carcases. The classifier can be a slaughterhouse employee or an external contractor. They must be suitably qualified and have a valid licence issued by the Scottish Government.

Apply for a classification licence

To apply for someone to become a licenced classifier, follow these steps:

• make sure that the employee, or the external contractor you are looking to licence, has the right to work in the UK. Read the Right to work checks: an employer’s guide to help you do this
• for any new classifier in your abattoir please inform the Scottish Government meat inspectors either verbally in plant or by email to MLI@gov.scot that you require a new classifier to be licensed
• the meat inspectors will then organise a date for the classification test to be done
• once the test has been completed the inspectors will take a picture of the classifier and organise for the licence to be processed and delivered to the license holder

Classification test

A Scottish Government meat inspector will check that the applicant understands the regulations. They will arrange for them to take a test which involves grading sheep carcases. If the applicant passes the test, the Scottish Government will ensure they are issued with a licence.

Follow-up checks

Once issued, classifiers must carry their licence with them when classifying carcases and show it to Scottish Government inspectors if they ask to see it.

Inspectors will check the standard of classifiers’ work during routine inspections. They will check the following:

• carcases are correctly identified and presented, including being dressed in-line with approved dressing specifications
• carcases are appropriately classified
• carcase weights have been accurately recorded
• the carcase has been labelled correctly

If classifiers fail these inspections, their licence may be suspended, revoked or altered. Classifiers will need to take another test to prove they can meet the required standard. The Scottish Government may arrange additional inspection visits to make sure classifiers are compliant with the regulations.

Abattoirs can request licensing for as many classifiers as they see fit.

Automated grading methods

Automated grading methods cannot currently be used to classify sheep carcases. The Scottish Government can start to consider any applications for the use of automated grading methods from February 2027.

To use approved automated grading methods, you will first need to get an automated grading licence from the Scottish Government. More information about this process will be available in due course.