Buying local meat

Buying meat near home usually means a butcher, a farm shop or a market stall. The label and the person behind the counter are the two ways to learn where it came from.

This page sets out what a meat label has to say about origin, what the word "local" means on it, and what the farm marks stand for.

What an origin label must say

Defra's guidance says meat sold to shoppers or to caterers must carry its country or place of origin. For chilled and frozen beef, the label must give the country where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered, and where the meat was cut. It must also carry a reference number linking the meat to the animal or group of animals.

When the animal was born, reared and slaughtered in one country, the label can say "Origin" and the country. For beef sold in Great Britain, "United Kingdom" or "UK" covers meat from both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Pre-packed pork, lamb, goat and poultry must say where the animal was reared and where it was slaughtered. If it was born, reared and slaughtered in one country, the label can say "Origin" and that country.

The beef rules at the counter

The Rural Payments Agency says the beef labelling rules apply to anyone selling fresh or frozen beef or veal. Its list includes butchers' shops, market stalls and farm shops as well as supermarkets. Each seller must keep records that link its labels to where the beef came from.

Sausages, pies and other products containing meat are treated differently. Trading standards guidance says they only need their origin on the label if leaving it off would be misleading.

What "local" means on a label

Defra's origin guidance gives set wording for countries, and none for the word "local".

The general law on food information still applies. It says food information must not mislead, including about the country of origin or place of provenance. Trading standards guidance tells sellers that claims such as "local", "free-range" and "outdoor-reared" should be confirmed in writing by their supplier.

A shopper can ask the seller what they mean by local, and which farm the meat came from.

Farm assurance marks

Red Tractor says its standards cover animal welfare, food safety and environmental protection. Its logo appears only on British food that has been certified, and its produce is traceable to assured UK farms. Under its beef and lamb scheme, cattle must spend at least 90 days and sheep at least 60 days on an assured holding before they can be sold as farm assured.

RSPCA Assured says its label stands for the RSPCA's higher welfare standards for farmed animals. A new design of the label arrived in October 2025, and old and new labels will appear side by side for two years while producers change their packaging.

Pasture for Life says it certifies animals that eat an entirely pasture-based diet for their whole life, apart from milk before weaning.

Organic labelling has its own legal rules. Defra says a food can only be labelled organic if it meets the organic rules, at least 95% of its farm ingredients are organic, and the producer is certified by an approved control body.

Checking a shop's hygiene rating

The Food Standards Agency's food hygiene rating scheme helps people choose where to shop for food. Its rating runs from 5, very good, to 0, urgent improvement required. The FSA runs it with local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the ratings can be searched online.

A rating is a snapshot of what inspectors found on the day. It covers how food is handled, stored and prepared, and how clean the premises are.

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