Organic Butchers in the UK

In the UK, there are ten certification bodies for organic food – the Soil Association is one of them. Consumers have to rely on their regulations since there are no lab tests to prove that the food they buy is actually organic.

All food sold as organic must come from growers or processors registered and inspected by a certification body. Butchers cutting meat or producing sausages are processors; therefore they have to be certified regardless if they buy the meat from an organic certified producer. The association informed that butchers have to undergo certification, if they want to sell their products as organic. If the butchers have no certification, they are only allowed to sell pre-packed meat; otherwise they will break the law. BBC News contacted all certification bodies and found out that only 63 butchers in the UK have gone through certification – in London, there were only two. Some butchers claimed not to know about the certification process, others stated it was too expensive and complicated. As officials say, it only costs £ 500 to go through certification and a cheaper deal for butchers is planned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5195544.stm