Supply of Qurbani Meat and Offal During Eid al-Adha

Background

The members of the Partnership Working Group Sub-Group (PWG SG) on direct supply continue to work together to develop a proportionate sustainable long-term approach for the supply of Qurbani meat and offal during Eid al-Adha, and discussions continue to be productive.

In 2022, the FSA launched a 12-week consultation on the long-term approach. We then published the responses to the consultation.

The members of the PWG SG acknowledge that work on the long-term approach continues; it is also recognised that the direct supply to final consumers from abattoirs is a regulated activity and support the need to enable the supply of Qurbani meat and offal to the Muslim community during Eid al-Adha 2024 under conditions that ensure appropriate levels of public health protection.

Therefore, the PWG SG have agreed that the industry led mitigations that were implemented during Eid al-Adha 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and will again be applied in England and Wales during Eid al-Adha 2024 (currently predicted to commence on 16 June 2024).

Further information on this will be available via the Halal Food Information Centre (HFIC) website.

Out of scope of this joint statement:

• Business to Business sales and supply under retained Regulation (EU) 2017/1981.
• Covid-19 requirements in relation to business guidance on social distancing according to the relevant government advice in place at the time.

Direct Supply of Qurbani Meat and Offal during Eid al-Adha 2024

We have developed enhanced detailed implementation documentation - Qurbani Operating Procedures (EID 01-11) - to support Food Business Operators and Officials considering the following risk mitigation principles:

• partial chilling of meat before direct supply
• verification of supply only to final consumers, or their representatives, with a customer declaration/traceability for all relevant sales/supply
• supply of health information and consumer advice
• measures in place to minimise cross-contamination, including suitable wrapping
• demonstration of suitable micro-biological sampling and/or hygiene history
• inclusion of date and time of slaughter on the label of the Qurbani
• additional mitigations for the supply of Offal

This approach was endorsed by FSA Chief Executive and Executive Management Team.

Organisations represented on the PWG SG:

• Food Standards Agency
• Food Standards Scotland
• Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board
• Association of Independent Meat Suppliers
• British Meat Processors Association
• Halal Food Authority
• Halal Monitoring Committee
• Muslim Council of Britain
• National Craft Butchers