Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) has released its new 2014 standards with a number of key changes and a simplified format.
Growers now only have to complete one risk assessment for the whole business, compared to previously when a number of different standards needed their own.
Following incidents of birds of prey found with secondary poisoning by rodenticides, licensees must now provide a bait plan, including a map of all bait points, and record the bait laid down, bait point inspection dates and bait replenishment dates.
The RTA has amended the labour provider requirement to allow a written agreement between the grower and labour provider, stating that the labour is competent and that a Gangmasters Licence is held. This follows feedback from members that it can be difficult to obtain a copy of a labour provider’s Gangmasters Licence.
A leaflet outlining the all the changes to fresh produce Red Tractor standards can be found here. They will come into force on 1 October 2014.
Red Tractor brand executive, Georgina Park, said: “Our farm assurance standards are subject to regular reviews by industry experts. Not only does this ensure that they remain up-to-date and relevant, it also reinforces their integrity as the foundation of quality food production in the UK.”
The revised standards were written by RTA’s technical advisory committee who were advised by industry experts, including a horticultural advisor from the NFU.
Red Tractor Week preparation
The organisation is also gearing up for this year’s Red Tractor Week, taking place 15 to 21 September, and has urged licensees not to miss the chance to promote their quality assurance credentials.
Fronted by farmer, musician and food writer, Alex James, consumer PR activity during the week will target shoppers aged 25 – 40, as well as school children.
James said: “The Red Tractor logo is easy to spot and it sends a very clear message - ‘Quality food you can trust’. Looking for the logo is the simplest way to buy into sound farming practices; such as good animal welfare, certified standards and traceability. Labels can be confusing, the Red Tractor is the only one I look for.”
A series of recipes developed by Red Tractor farmers will be released to consumer lifestyle magazines and a social media competition offers a luxury UK farm stay, by uploading ‘farm to fork’ themed pictures using the hash tags #FarmToFork or #TrustTheTractor.
New research about awareness levels among British adults of where food comes from will be released during the week, and a national schools competition will target younger consumers.
“Children are the next generation of shoppers, so getting them to understand where their food comes from and how it is produced, is incredibly important,” said Park. “Recognising the Red Tractor logo from a young age will also help close the gap between knowledge and action.
“Red Tractor Week provides a fantastic opportunity for the whole industry to get involved and raise awareness of quality assured Red Tractor products. We are encouraging all our licensees to make the most of the opportunity to promote their products in the run up to, and throughout, Red Tractor Week.”
Licensees can get promote involvement in Red Tractor Week on websites and get in touch with georgina.park@redtractor.org.uk for other support tools to promote the week.
RTA at The Big Feastival
Ahead of Red Tractor Week, RTA will have a stand at the Jamie Oliver-backed food and music festival, ‘The Big Feastival’, taking place from 29 July to 31 August. Co-hosted by Oliver and James, the event is expected to welcome 50,000 visitors.
Park said: “There will be competitions, fun activities and give-aways all designed to encourage visitors to think about where their food comes from and to recognise that the Red Tractor logo represents food which is traceable, safe to eat and has been produced responsibly.”
