Meat Code Lookup
Every pack of UK meat from a registered slaughterhouse carries an oval stamp with a number. Search from the home page, or browse all 202 FSA-registered slaughterhouses below.
Find the oval stamp on the packaging
Type the number into the search bar above — ignore the GB/UK prefix
What is the UK meat oval stamp?
The oval stamp — officially called a health mark — is a legal requirement for all meat sold in Great Britain. Applied directly to the carcass after slaughter using edible, food-grade ink (typically purple), it confirms the meat was inspected and processed in an FSA-approved facility. Every pack of raw meat you buy in a UK supermarket or butcher carries this mark somewhere on the packaging.
The stamp uses purple food-grade ink — completely edible and safe. You'll find it pressed directly onto the carcass or printed on the sealed packaging label.
Purpose
Confirms the meat was inspected, deemed safe, and processed in an FSA-registered facility. Without this mark, the meat cannot legally be sold in Great Britain.
What the codes mean
GB = Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) ·
UK = United Kingdom ·
NI = Northern Ireland.
The number (e.g. 4227) is the unique FSA approval number for the specific slaughterhouse or cutting plant.
Where to find it
On raw meat in a supermarket, look on the back or side of the vacuum-sealed pack, on the base tray label, or directly on the carcass at a butcher counter. On frozen meat it's usually printed on the outer plastic.
Why it matters for halal
The stamp tells you where the animal was slaughtered — not how. Enter the number here to check if that facility is HMC certified, handles pork, or has unknown certification status.
All Slaughterhouses
Updated April 2026How it works
Find the oval stamp
Look on the back or side of any UK meat or poultry packaging for an oval stamp reading "GB" or "UK" followed by digits.
Search from any page
Type the digits into the search bar at the top of the site — no need to navigate here first. Just the number, no GB or UK prefix needed.
Get the answer
We show the slaughterhouse name, species handled, whether they process pork, and if they hold HMC certification.
What "Not HMC Certified" means: These facilities have no pork handling recorded with the FSA, but they do not appear in the HMC certified supplier list. This does not mean the meat is haram — many hold certification from HFA or other bodies that we do not currently cross-reference. Always check the pack for a certification logo or contact the producer directly.
Data sources: Establishment data from the FSA Approved Establishments register (England & Wales). HMC certification from the HMC Certified Supplier List. This tool covers FSA-registered slaughterhouses only — HMC-certified cutting plants and distributors are not included. Both datasets updated monthly.
Also checking the ingredients?
Use our E-code database to verify additives listed on the label.