Animal Aid, together with local animal rights activists in Surrey, is calling for immediate intervention after the latest publicly available Food Standards Agency (FSA) audit data—as of 1 November 2025—shows that ABP Guildford slaughterhouse remains flagged for six Major Non-Compliances and eighteen Minor Non-Compliances.
The most recent completed audit of the site took place on 26 June 2025, where ABP Guildford, located at Slyfield Industrial Estate, received a verdict of “Generally Satisfactory.” However, this rating required a mandatory follow-up audit within three months, signalling ongoing concerns.
Despite this requirement, the latest published FSA audit records still list the same Major and Minor Non-Compliances, indicating that key failings had not yet been resolved by the time the November dataset was released.
Major failings for animals
The FSA data highlights multiple Major Non-Compliances directly affecting animal welfare, including:
- Animals exposed to avoidable pain, distress or suffering during the killing process
- Failures in required animal welfare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Improper handling and movement of animals, including risks from misuse of instruments
- Inadequate or poorly maintained restraining facilities and equipment, including shackle lines
- Stunning methods that failed to ensure rapid and effective loss of consciousness and sensibility
According to the FSA, a Major Non-Compliance is “likely to compromise public or animal health and welfare or may lead to the production and handling of unsafe or unsuitable food.” Multiple Major Non-Compliances can escalate to critical status, the most serious category.
Hygiene and procedure failures
A further Major Non-Compliance was flagged in:
- Environmental hygiene and Good Hygiene Practices, specifically the failure to effectively implement and document required operating procedures
These findings raise serious concerns about both welfare standards and broader food safety practices at the site.
Animal Aid’s Call to Action
- Decisive action from the FSA in response to the ongoing Major Non-Compliances at ABP Guildford.
- Full transparency and accountability across all UK slaughterhouses, with no exceptions.
- The closure of slaughterhouses — including ABP Guildford — where suffering is inherent and cannot be prevented.
About the audit data
The FSA carries out audits of UK slaughterhouses to assess:
- Animal welfare controls
- Disease prevention and biosecurity
- Hygienic production and facility standards
- Waste and by-product handling
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems
- Removal of high-risk materials
These audit results are published monthly. The November 2025 dataset — the latest available — shows that key Major and Minor Non-Compliances remained unresolved.
Notes to Editors
- Data derived from the latest FSA audit dataset published 1 November 2025, reflecting unresolved issues since the June 2025 full audit.
- FSA audit guidance and datasets available from the Food Standards Agency.
