Making Farm Assurance Easier to Understand - new Beef & Lamb Quick Guide

Making Farm Assurance Easier to Understand – new Beef and Lamb Quick Guide
A new Quick Guide summarising the standards and rules of the Red Tractor Farm
Assurance Beef and Lamb Scheme has been published and sent to more than 21,000
members in England.
The A5 leaflet summarises how the beef and lamb scheme works including how to join,
choice of certification bodies, assessment criteria and how to maintain assurance once
certified. It lists the Scheme standards together with the most common areas of non-
conformance picked up by assessors. To help farmers prepare for an assessment, the
standards which require a record are highlighted, and tick boxes are provided so a quick
self-assessment can be done to make sure everything is in order.
The Quick Guide was put together following comments from members that the Red
Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme manual was too large and off putting. Philippa
Wiltshire, Beef and Lamb Sector Manager, said: “We hope this Quick Guide will provide
members with what they have been asking for and also help explain briefly what new
members need to know about how the Scheme works.”
The Red Tractor Scheme is the main beef and lamb farm assurance scheme in England
with over 21,000 members who join through one of three licensed certification bodies
(NSF-CMI, PAI and SAI Global FABBL). Successfully completing the assessment and
becoming farm assured enables beef and lamb farmers to take advantage of preferential
prices* and expand the number of outlets animals can be marketed to as many buyers
insist on farm assured livestock.
“As record keeping is often the area where farmers slip up we have highlighted all
standards which require a record and templates for each can be found in the full
Scheme manual,” added Mrs Wiltshire. “It is important though that members understand
this Quick Guide does not replace the full Scheme manual which they will still need as it
provides the detailed rules and standards.”
Copies of the free Quick Guide are currently being sent to assured livestock markets so
farmers interested in joining the scheme can pick up a copy. Alternatively further copies
are available from the beef and lamb licensed certification bodies or Red Tractor Beef
and Lamb, an electronic version is also available on the beef and lamb farm section of www.redtractorassurance.org.uk.
[Ends]
For further information please contact Red Tractor Beef and Lamb on 01908 393750 or
[email protected]
Notes to Editors:
 The Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme covers six sectors - Beef & Lamb, Dairy,
Fresh Produce, Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet, Pigs and Poultry.
 Farmers wishing to join the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Beef and Lamb Scheme can
choose between three licensed certification bodies, NSF-CMi, PAI or SAI Global FABBL.
 Standards for all sectors have been developed and are regularly revised by some of the
top industry experts to ensure that food safety, animal welfare and environmental
standards are maintained and continually reflect consumer demand.
 An impressive 78,000 farmers and growers are part of the Red Tractor Assurance chain,
all committed to maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare
and environmental protection.
 Red Tractor helps demonstrate the high standards followed by producers and gives
consumers the assurance they need that the food they are buying meets strict standards
of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection with a guarantee of origin.
 Red Tractor standards are maintained all the way from farm to pack. All Red Tractor
farmers, processors and packers are regularly inspected by independent experts who
conduct thousands of audits each year offering consumers total transparency and
traceability.
 The flag in the Red Tractor logo guarantees the origin of the food. So the Union Jack flag
tells you that the product has been farmed, processed and packed in the UK.
 The Red Tractor logo provides transparency for consumers and differentiates quality
assured products.
 The Red Tractor logo now features on products with an annual retail sales value of £10
billion.
 All major retailers and supermarkets and more than 500 leading companies use the logo.
 The Red Tractor is backed by leading food businesses including 500 packers and over
2000 food service outlets, all promoting quality assured food in the UK, who must adhere
to Red Tractor standards involving food safety.
 The Red Tractor was launched in 2000.