Overview

To help ensure a safe meat supply for consumers and to reduce the potential for food-borne illnesses, all meat offered for sale or distributed in Ontario must be inspected. The sale or distribution of uninspected meat is illegal.

Whether you are a commercial livestock producer, operate a small hobby farm, or buy and sell animals for slaughter, the meat from your livestock and poultry is subject to the same requirements under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 and Regulation 31/05 (Meat Regulation).

The following information is provided for your protection, to help you understand your responsibilities and legal obligations as a producer or dealer of meat intended for sale or distribution.

Meat regulation

Regulation 31/05 (Meat) under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 is administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Its purpose is to help ensure that meat processed for consumption in Ontario meets food safety requirements. The regulation sets out requirements to ensure that animals are fit for slaughter, handled humanely and processed under sanitary conditions. All species of mammals and birds, raised in captivity and whose meat is intended for human consumption, are included in the regulation.

Under the regulation, all meat destined for sale or distribution, without exception, must originate from livestock or poultry slaughtered in a provincially licensed meat plant, federally licensed establishment, or imported from a federally recognized source.

In Ontario, no person can operate a meat plant without a licence. To sell, transport, deliver or distribute meat:

  • the food animal must be inspected prior to slaughter (ante mortem) and given approval for slaughter in accordance with the Meat Regulation
  • the carcass must be inspected following slaughter (post mortem) and approved for use as food in accordance with the Meat Regulation or the regulations under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (Canada)
  • the food animal must be slaughtered in a plant operated by a provincially licensed operator or a federally licensed establishment
  • the meat must be stamped, labelled or tagged with an inspection legend

Responsibilities under the meat regulation

As a livestock or poultry producer or dealer in Ontario, you must ensure that your animals are slaughtered according to requirements under Ontario Regulation 31/05. If you intend to sell or distribute meat for human consumption, you have the legal obligation to ensure that your animals are slaughtered in a provincially licensed meat plant or federally licensed establishment (websites are provided below to help you find a slaughter plant in your area).

Provincial meat inspection program

Through the application of the meat inspection program, OMAFRA's Food Safety Inspection Delivery Branch ensures that provincially licensed meat plants comply with legislated standards for the slaughter and production of safe meat products.

Skilled and knowledgeable Food Safety Inspectors, with veterinary support, are present in each slaughter plant, each day of slaughter, to inspect all animals and poultry intended for slaughter. Freestanding meat plants (meat plants that do not conduct slaughter activities) are inspected on a risk based frequency.

The meat inspection program monitors the treatment of animals, animal health, meat safety, , proper handling of meat products, sanitation programs and water safety at Ontario's licensed meat plants.

In addition, each meat plant is regularly audited to ensure that they meet minimum requirements for provincial licensing.

Provincial and federal slaughter plants

All meat intended for sale or distribution in Ontario is subjected to full inspection before and after slaughter, whether in provincial meat plants or federally licensed establishments, and both inspection programs receive full veterinary, laboratory and enforcement support.

The difference between federal and provincial inspection levels is one of scale and scope. Provincially licensed meat plants serve local markets and livestock producers. Meat products produced at a provincial meat plant can only be sold within Ontario borders. Federally licensed establishments tend to be much larger than provincially inspected plants and market products beyond Ontario and Canada.

Find a licensed slaughter plant

A list of provincially licensed slaughter plants is posted on OMAFRA's website at: Provincially licensed meat plants.

All federally licensed establishments are listed at: Safe Food for Canadians Licence Registry.

Emergency slaughter

The Meat Regulation allows for the emergency slaughter of food animals outside of a slaughter plant in certain circumstances.

Emergency slaughter may only be performed where authorized by a regional veterinarian appointed by OMAFRA. A regional veterinarian can only approve emergency slaughter where it is necessary because an animal has escaped confinement, is injured and cannot be transported without undue suffering or distress or cannot be transported without endangering the animal or persons.

An animal must undergo an ante mortem inspection by an OMAFRA appointed inspector or veterinary inspector before the animal can be approved for emergency slaughter and a meat plant approved by the regional veterinarian must be willing to accept the carcass for processing. Emergency slaughter must be performed in accordance with the regulations and the carcass must be transported to the approved meat plant within a specified time. Post-mortem inspection must be completed by an OMAFRA appointed inspector or veterinary inspector within the time set by the regional veterinarian following slaughter. Provided all of these requirements are met and the carcass of the animal passes post-mortem inspection, the carcass may be approved for processing and sale or distribution to the public.

Producers who have an animal that appears to meet the criteria for emergency slaughter outside of a meat plant can contact a licensed meat plant operator to initiate the process. It should be noted that, under the Health Protection and Promotion Act administered by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the presence of any uninspected meat in a food premises such as butcher shop or other food processing facility is prohibited.

Visit emergency slaughter for more information.

Slaughter your own animals to feed your family

Yes, provided you comply with one of the following options

Option 1

Producers can slaughter animals and process the carcasses on the farm at any time of the year and are exempt from the Meat Regulation, provided all the following conditions are met:

  • the animals must be slaughtered for consumption by the producer or the producer's immediate family only
  • the slaughter must be performed on the producer's premises by the producer, a person acting on the direction of the producer or a certified examiner
  • the meat must be consumed only by the producer or the producer's immediate family on the producer's premises

The meat from an animal slaughtered under this option cannot be sold, delivered, distributed, or transported off the farm under any circumstances.

Hiring a butcher

A producer exempt from the Meat Regulation, who meets all criteria described above, is not prohibited from hiring the services of a butcher to conduct cutting and wrapping activities on the farm where the animal was slaughtered. The meat cannot be sold, delivered, distributed, or transported off the farm under any circumstance.

Visit on farm slaughter for more information.

Option 2

Cattle and swine producers who want to slaughter healthy animals on their farm and have the carcasses processed off the farm may engage in the non-emergency slaughter provisions in O. Reg. 31/05 under the Food Safety and Quality Act 2001. An examiner certified by OMAFRA for non-emergency slaughter may provide stunning, slaughter and dressing services, and must perform ante mortem and post mortem examinations and ensure humane animal handling and sanitary dressing. The following conditions must be met for non-emergency slaughter to be permitted:

  • only cattle under 30 months of age and pigs are eligible to enter a meat plant under this provision
  • an examiner certified for non-emergency, on-farm slaughter may provide stunning, slaughter and dressing services and must perform ante mortem and postmortem examinations
  • carcasses and products can only be transported to and from a provincially licensed meat plant
  • provincially licensed meat plants must be approved to process on-farm slaughtered carcasses and are only allowed to accept them for periods of time specified in the approval that fall between September 1 of any given year and April 30 of the following year
  • processing of products are limited by the regulation, to cutting, grinding, wrapping and/or freezing of beef or pork, and processing ham, bacon or sausage from pork only
  • the products can only be consumed by the producer and their immediate family on the premises where the animal was slaughtered; and
  • products cannot be sold, shared, donated or distributed

Visit non-emergency slaughter for more information.

Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act administered by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the presence of any uninspected meat in a food premises such as a butcher shop or other food processing facility is prohibited unless otherwise specified in the Act.

Illegal slaughter activity

If you believe you have information regarding slaughter or meat processing activities that may be illegal or pose a high risk to food safety or public health please contact the ministry at:

Penalties for offences

Penalties for violations are outlined in the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001. If convicted a person may be subject to maximum fines of up to $25,000 for each day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues. For corporations, fines may be as high as $100,000 for each day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues.

Contact us

Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca