FSA 25/09/06 - Animal Welfare - Annex 2
Published 25 June 2026
Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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1. Total throughput and non-compliances
This data shows the total annual throughput and incidences of major and critical animal welfare related non-compliances in slaughterhouses. The table below summarises the figures from 2020/21 to 2024/25. It shows that since 2020 the proportion of animals detected being involved in major and critical incidents has remained very low, at a fraction of 1% of all animals.
Level 3 (major) and level 4 (critical) slaughterhouse animal welfare non-compliances
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of animals processed (throughput) | 1,038,234,124 | 1,036,098,739 | 1,013,294,689 | 1,009,052,611 | 1,035,481,172 | Ìý |
| Animals processed in compliance with welfare | 1,038,194,198 | 1,036,047,607 | 1,013,244,791 | 1,009,008,596 | 1,026,880,347 | Ìý |
| Animals processed not in compliance with welfare | 39,926 (A) | 51,132 (B) | 49,898 (C) | 44,015 (D) | 33,920 (E) | Ìý |
| Percentage of animals processed compliantly | 99.99615% | 99.99506% | 99.99400% | 99.99564% | 99.99670% | Ìý |
| Percentage of animals involved in noncompliance | 0.00384% | 0.00494% | 0.00492% | 0.00436% | 0.00330% | Ìý |
(A)ÌýÌý Ìýincludes three instances, totalling 20,573 birds of mechanical breakdowns that delayed processing.ÌýÌýThere was no evidence that the birds experienced suffering or distress.
(B)ÌýÌý Ìýincludes three instances, totalling 46,281 birds where food / water / ventilation was not adequately provided.ÌýÌýThere was no evidence that the birds experienced suffering or distress.
(C)ÌýÌý Ìý40,089 of the 49,898 animals were scored at level 3 (potential for suffering).ÌýÌýOf that, there was an incident of 17,400 birds in which unloading was delayed, however the birds were prioritised for slaughter and did not suffer from the delay.
(D)ÌýÌý ÌýIncludes a batch of 30,000 birds and a batch of 10,650 birds where slaughter was delayed due to plant breakdowns and feed/water was not provided.
(E)ÌýÌý ÌýIncludes one case affecting 28,800 birds where slaughter was delayed due to a plant breakdown and feed/water was not provided.