Mobile Butcher Facility Rules
Requirements can change and individual circumstances differ. Always verify current requirements with the Government of Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and other applicable authorities.
A Mobile Butcher Facility occupies an unusual position in Alberta’s meat system because the facility can handle both uninspected private-use meat and inspected meat under different conditions.
Who can operate one?
Alberta’s Mobile Butcher Facility licence is associated with a Government of Alberta licensed mobile butcher operating a premise for meat processing.
Processing uninspected meat
The facility can process qualifying uninspected meat from animals slaughtered through routes such as a licensed mobile butcher or On-Farm Slaughter Operation.
That meat remains uninspected.
Uninspected meat cannot be sold
Further processing does not convert uninspected meat into commercially inspected meat.
Applicable identification and labelling requirements for uninspected product must be followed.
Processing inspected meat
Alberta also allows a licensed Mobile Butcher Facility to purchase inspected meat for further processing.
Products made only from inspected meat may be sold to the public within Alberta, subject to the applicable requirements.
One facility may handle inspected and uninspected products, but processing them at the same licensed facility does not make their legal status identical.
Keep the streams clear
Processors need appropriate procedures to maintain the required identification, handling and separation of inspected and uninspected products.
Check the licence before using a facility
Producers should confirm what services a facility is currently licensed to provide rather than relying only on the business name or the word “butcher.”
Last reviewed: September 2026.