New EU Food hygiene regulations will be introduced in the UK from the 1st of January 2006. This means that anyone, who sells their game (including game birds, ducks, geese, rabbit, hare, and pigeon - even rook and squirrel) to a Wildgame Handling establishment, will need training as a 'competent person'. It is likely that it will be a requirement for shooters to have enough knowledge to ensure that food safety is not compromised.

The training will be to a National Occupational Standard (NOS) and will include an assessment at the end of the training course.

BASC are lobbying the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the competent authority, to determine exactly what training will be required and if there will be any exemptions.

BASC will be running food hygiene courses from the 1st of August 2005 onwards. The BASC training course prices are not yet fixed and may be subject to revision; however we do know it will be in the region of £80- to £100- per person. We will seek to make reductions in this where possible. At the end of the days training BASC will offer the Nationally recognised qualification through Lantra Awards and The Royal Society for the Promotion of Health at £30 per examination. This will be additional to the training course cost.

To register your interest, or for further information please email us, visit the FSA website, or download our leaflet on the subject here:

 Click here to download the BASC FSA regulations leaflet.