Level 2 Award in Wild Game Meat Hygiene

The law requires anyone who supplies game meat to a game dealer to be a ‘trained hunter’.

Taking this Level 2 qualification will demonstrate to game meat dealers or potential employers that you are able to ensure wild game meat is safe to enter the food chain.

There are two units to complete, one mandatory and a choice of one of two optional units:

Mandatory Unit

Common Processes in Game Meat Hygiene

This unit will look at the factors to be considered before applying game meat hygiene including legal, health and safety, the environment, products and equipment. By the end of the unit you will:

• Know the principal legal requirements that control the supply of Wild Game Meat for human consumption
• Know of the risks to human health that can be caused by zoonosis
• Know possible sources of environmental contamination that can affect game meat
• Know the legal requirements and responsibilities associated with the administration of medicines to wild game meat
• Understand legal hygiene requirements and responsibilities
• Understand the legal hygiene requirements that control the design and fabrication of game larders, game transport, tools and equipment
• Identify the legal requirements and responsibilities associated with notifiable diseases
• Understand the principles controlling the management of food safety for wild game meat

Optional Units

Small Game Meat Hygiene:

• Know the common causes of ill health in small game species
• Know the normal anatomy and physiology of small game and signs that indicate ill health
• Understand how small game carcases can be contaminated
• Understand how the risk to human health can be limited by health and condition recognition
• Know the hygienic working practices that must be followed when working with small game

Large Game Meat Hygiene:

• Know normal anatomy and physiology for deer species
• Know of common diseases that can cause ill health in deer
• Know of the signs that indicate ill health in large game
• Understand how large game carcases can be contaminated
• Understand how the risk to human health can be limited by health and condition recognition
• Know the hygienic working practices that must be followed when working with large game carcases

In both these units you’ll look at signs of abnormality and ill health in small and/or large game and understand hygienic working techniques.

There will be theory and practical sessions, with question papers for each unit.

This qualification allows you to demonstrate that you are competent to the satisfaction of the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The Level 2 Award in Wild Game Meat Hygiene is designed for anyone who either already supplies game meat to a game dealer or intends to do so in the future.

The qualification is also recommended for practising gamekeepers or those who expect to enter this occupation in the future. It may also be appropriate for wildlife managers, rangers and pest controllers.