FSS approved establishments

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) maintains and publishes the list of approved food establishments in Scotland, based on information supplied by competent authorities. 

We’re responsible for approving slaughterhouses, cutting plants and game handling establishments, as those facilities require the presence of an Official Veterinarian. If a plant also has on-site cold stores, minced meat, meat preparation or meat products establishments, we need to approve these too. However, if they’re stand-alone establishments, your local authority will assess them. 

The Scottish Manual for Official Controls (SMOC) gives you details of the tasks, responsibilities and duties of our staff and veterinary contractors in approved establishments.

• Access the Meat Industry Guide
• For premises approved by local authorities, visit our local authority approvals page.

Guidance to help people with their applications for Certificate of Competence (CoC) and Temporary Certificate of Competence (TCoC) in Animal Welfare. These certificates are required for their duties in approved premises in Scotland.

FSS approve red and white meat slaughterhouses, game handling establishments and cutting plants. If co-located with the previous mentioned operations FSS also approves other activities in relation to products of animal origin. See the full list of approved establishments. 

A food business can’t be considered for approval until we’ve carried out an assessment, a veterinary manager has made a recommendation, and the approval documentation has been issued to the food business operator.

To apply for approval to operate as a slaughterhouse, cutting plant or game handling establishment, please complete the approval form or email approvals@fss.scot for an application pack.

When we are in receipt of the completed application and all supporting documentation, the Approvals team will make arrangements for a mutually agreed time for the veterinary manager to visit your establishment. The assessment visit will cover all structural, equipment, HACCP and hygiene requirements, and food businesses will have to meet all the relevant legal requirements of both Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. 

From 30 March 2026, the undertaking of all approval activity in meat establishments will be charged at an hourly rate of £113.54. This will include time spent by the officer on preparation, visiting establishments and report writing. Travel time is not directly chargeable to the individual Food Business Operator (FBO) but is accounted for in the hourly charge. More information can be found in the charging guide. Please note, the hourly charge rate is subject to change through an annual review and may increase/decrease during the approval process.  
 

We need to ensure that all food business operators of approved meat establishments are producing meat safely. Where we find this is not the case, we can initiate a review of the approval and may withdraw approval as the ultimate sanction.