Geographical indications (GIs) protect the names of products whose qualities, reputation or characteristics are linked to a particular place.

The Government has not formally assessed the adequacy of GI labelling on either fresh meat or fresh fish packaging. However, once a GI name has been protected, only genuine products can use that name and the appropriate GI logo in their labelling and advertising. We consider current GI labelling requirements to be clear to producers and informative to consumers. Where mislabelling or inadequate labelling comes to light, the Government takes steps to ensure corrective action protects producer and consumer interests.

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England.

Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals, including the sourcing of ingredients, and can choose how best to meet this duty. The department has published guidance and resources for schools to help them deliver a range of tasty and nutritious meals. Schools should make reasonable adjustments for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs.

This Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. However, this Government respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

The Food Standards Agency carries out a periodic, one-week Slaughter Sector Survey in England and Wales. In the last five years, two surveys have been carried out in 2022 and 2024. Direct comparison between these surveys is difficult due to the high proportion of responses for the destination of meat in 2024 recorded as ‘unknown’, because that particular survey question is not mandatory.

For sheep, 32% of non-stun meat was recorded as exported in 2022, with 0% recorded as having an unknown destination. In 2024, 3% of non-stun meat from sheep was recorded as exported, with 36% recorded as having an unknown destination.

For meat chickens, the proportion of non-stun meat recorded as exported was 5% in 2022, compared to none recorded as exported in 2024. In both years, a further 1-2% of non-stun meat was recorded as having an unknown destination.

Copies of the 2022 and 2024 Survey Reports are attached. The 2026 Survey will be published later this year.

Defra is researching the sector’s growth potential, impacts on future emissions, and working across government to support innovation and scaling. Defra is also working with the Food Standards Agency to develop guidance for approval of new alternative protein products, including cultivated meat, while reviewing novel food regulations set out in the Food Strategy.

This government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. Schools are required to follow the school food standards to ensure that all children can access a healthy, nutritious meal while at school.

We have published guidance and resources for schools to help them deliver a range of tasty and nutritious meals, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools.

Headteachers, school governors and caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, considering local circumstances and to ensure appropriate provision for cultural, religious and special dietary requirements.

While it was possible to provide seizure volumes made under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme, this has now ended and assured data is not available. Defra is currently reviewing how it collects and uses the seizure data recorded by its operational partners.

While it was possible to provide seizure volumes made under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme, this has now ended and assured data is not available. Defra is currently reviewing how it collects and uses the seizure data recorded by its operational partners.

The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but we respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

The National Procurement Policy Statement underscores the Government’s commitment to increasing procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises, including sourcing products raised to high UK welfare standards.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. As such, the FSA does not hold data that would enable a direct comparison between stunned and non-stunned slaughter in relation to supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or levels of animal welfare non-compliance.

The FSA also does not collect data on the volume of meat derived from animals slaughtered without stunning. There are currently no plans for the FSA to introduce requirements to collect this information.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has lead responsibility for animal welfare policy.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not record Official Veterinarian or Official Auxiliary time, associated costs, or enforcement activity by slaughter method. As such, the FSA does not hold data that would enable a direct comparison between stunned and non-stunned slaughter in relation to supervision time, inspection or enforcement costs, or levels of animal welfare non-compliance.

The FSA also does not collect data on the volume of meat derived from animals slaughtered without stunning. There are currently no plans for the FSA to introduce requirements to collect this information.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has lead responsibility for animal welfare policy.

The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the School Food Standards, to ensure that children are served healthy and nutritious meals at school. The standards do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural or religious needs.

We encourage the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. However, we respect the rights of religious communities to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. Schools must comply with the School Food Standards but retain flexibility in how they meet them.

The Department does not hold information on the cost of specific food items, including meat, or on expenditure associated with multi -choice or pre-selected menus. Prison expenditure on food is recorded at an aggregate level in management accounts as total prisoner food costs: it is not broken down by individual prisons, food types, menu options or dietary components. Food budgets are managed locally by Governors in the public estate, or Directors in privately managed prisons, who have flexibility within their overall allocations to meet the needs of their prison population, including religious, cultural and medical dietary requirements.

All prisons across England and Wales provide prisoners with a choice of at least five meal options at both lunch and for the evening meal. As a minimum, these options include one meat dish, one vegan dish, one vegetarian dish, one Halal dish, and one additional alternative option. This requirement was established under PSO 5000 (Prison Catering Services), and was subsequently re-affirmed in its successor policy, PSI 44/2010 Catering: Meals for Prisoners, which came into effect in October 2010.

Protecting UK biosecurity remains paramount, and this Government will do whatever it takes to protect farmers.

Defra does not require port health authorities to routinely test or analyse samples of illegally imported meat seized at the UK border for notifiable animal diseases, including African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease. Negative results would not guarantee the absence of risk. That is why illegal meat imports, intercepted by Border Force and local authorities are all safely disposed in accordance with animal by-products rules.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency publishes assessments of the potential risk of animal disease incursions via animals and animal products, including illegal meat imports on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

As this data is not held centrally the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Food in Prison Policy Framework requires that prisoners are provided with meals that meet an individual’s religious, cultural, and medical dietary needs. Prisons provide a multi-choice, pre-select menu for the lunchtime or evening meal which must reflect the diverse needs of the establishment’s population. When a Halal meat or poultry menu choice is offered, an alternative meat or poultry choice which is not Halal must be provided at the same meal.

All prisons across England and Wales provide prisoners with a choice of at least five meal options at both lunch and the evening meal. As a minimum, these options include: one meat dish, one vegan dish, one vegetarian dish, one Halal dish, and one additional alternative option.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has for many years published comprehensive information on how its meat charges are made up annually. This information can be found in Cost Data Slides available on its website, at the following link:

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/charges-for-controls-in-meat-premises

The costs of administering the FSA’s charging and discounts system, including correcting billing errors, are factored into its charges as a proportion of the work carried out by the finance function. As indicated on page 44 of the Cost Data Slides relating to England and Wales, £0.18 million is budgeted for this for the forthcoming 2026/27 financial year. As indicated on page 41, a proportion of this amount relates to billing and collecting charges, which includes correcting billing errors.

The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.

The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

There are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, but the Government expects industry to provide consumers with information on which to make an informed choice about their food. Any information provided on the method of slaughter must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer.

Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. Restaurants and other food businesses may, on request, advise whether the foods they sell are certified as halal and whether the animals were stunned before slaughter. Under existing rules, all food information provided by out‑of‑home businesses must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.

There are no regulations that prevent meat from animals slaughtered without stunning from being exported. The 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey sets out reported destinations for meat, including whether it was exported.