Sales and use of game

Hunting is a form of primary production. A gutted, unskinned or unplucked carcass of a wild game animal is a product of primary production. A thoroughly slaughtered carcass that is skinned or plucked or cut meat are no longer considered to be primary products.

If wild game is sold or handed to consumers or supplied to retailers as a product of primary production, a notification of primary production or food premises is not necessary if the maximum amount sold, handed or supplied is 1,000 hares/rabbits, 3,000 birds, 10 elks, 30 deer or 50 roe deer in a year.

If game is sold or handed as a product of primary production in amounts that exceed the above, the hunter or hunters’ association must submit a notification of food premises regarding their operations.

If the slaughter of wild game is finalised in e.g. a slaughter shed and the meat is sold or handed directly to consumers or retailers, a notification of food premises must always be submitted regardless of the amount of game. If you plan to sell game to consumers or retailers out of a slaughter shed, please contact Food Control to receive instructions.

• A hunter must keep accounts of all wild game sold.
• Meat from other wild game than the animals specified above must always be inspected if it is supplied to retailers. This includes boar meat, for example.
• Uninspected meat must not be processed into products, such as mince, sausages or canned food, in an ordinary slaughter shed. If you wish to further process game, the slaughter shed must be connected to food premises that meet all requirements set for food premises.
• If wild animals from the deer family are supplied for retailers as full carcasses, the receiving food premises must have facilities suitable for cutting meat.