Updated 16 December 2021
The Wild Game Guide (WGG) provides guidance on the food hygiene regulatory requirements which apply to hunters, suppliers and processors of wild game, both in fur/feather and as wild game meat.
The guide was fully reviewed and revised from 2020-2021 with a Food Standards Scotland guide published on 16th December 2021. The review of the guide involved a public consultation which sought views from stakeholders on the content of a draft revised guide and closed on the 24th of December 2020.
This revised guide is for use by the wild game sector and enforcement officers in Scotland. People in the rest of the UK should access the WGG on the FSA website. It should be noted however, that the food hygiene legal requirements which apply to wild game food production are the same throughout the UK.
This guide is for:
- those who hunt and/or supply wild game
- enforcement officers
- retailers and processors of wild game
The guide includes a table in section 4.1 which provides an overview of the requirements that apply in certain situations in which game is supplied either in-fur/feather or as game meat. More detailed information for each supply scenario, as well as on the various stages of the wild game food supply chain, is available in the guide.
Legal status
This guidance has been produced to explain the legal requirements of retained EU law- in particular, Retained Regulations 178/2002, 852/2004 and 853/2004 as they relate to wild game. It does not place legal requirements upon parties nor should it be read as legal advice. It is not possible for this guidance to cover every scenario and it is therefore advised that you also consult the relevant regulations in conjunction with this guide to understand how they apply in your circumstances. You may also wish to seek your own independent legal advice. This guidance will, however, assist you in understanding how to comply with the law. Businesses with specific queries may wish to seek the advice of their local enforcement authority.
Most of the legal references used in this guidance refer to ‘retained EU law’ (i.e. Retained Regulations 178/2002, 852/2004, 853/2004 etc.). These relevant EU food law regulations were retained by the UK at 11pm on the 31st of December 2020, becoming ‘retained EU law’. This means that the requirements held within these regulations continue to apply in Scotland.
Please refer to Section 2.1 of the guide for a full overview of the legal status and legal referencing.
Contact details
email: foodenquiries@fss.scot
Meat, poultry and game
Food Standards Scotland works with the farming industry and primary producers to ensure food is safe and authentic from the beginning of the food chain.
Wild game guides and HACCP
The Wild Game Guide (WGG) provides guidance for the Scottish wild game food sector, as well as enforcement officers, on the food hygiene legal requirements which apply to the hunting, processing and supply of wild game into the food chain.
