Assured Food Standards
Assured Food Standards (AFS) promotes and regulates food quality in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales by licensing the Red Tractor quality mark, a product certification program that includes a number of farm assurance schemes. The scheme received increased media attention from 2018 onwards after hidden cameras filmed animal abuse at multiple farms.
History
The National Farmers Union of England and Wales launched the Red Tractor scheme in 2000, and the organization’s name was changed to Assured Food Standards in 2005. Since 2010, Carling cans of lager have featured the logo, indicating that the barley used has been certified.
Operations
The Union Flag indicates that the food was farmed, processed, and packed in the United Kingdom, and the Processed Vegetable Growers’ Association logo covers a wide range of products, including meat and poultry.
Limitations
The mark does not represent a guarantee that the products are safe to eat.
Breaches
In July 2018, several UK media outlets revealed serious cases of animal abuse at farms that had recently passed inspections and were all certified under the Red Tractor scheme, supplying meat to major British supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. In July 2021, secret cameras captured chickens dying of thirst and dead birds left to rot.
See also
The Food Standards Agency has recognized Little Red Tractor, a children’s cartoon on CBeebies, for its use of organic and low-sugar farming techniques.
References
“Tesco drops pork farm over ‘distressing’ undercover film,” BBC NEWS, 20 August 2019. “Pigs hammered to death at ‘high-welfare’ farm, prompting Tesco to ditch supplier,” Independent, 2 May 2021.
External links
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes “Red Tractor Red Tractor Assurance and Farm and Processor information” on behalf of farmers and ranchers under the heading Assured Food Standards for Production, Quality, and Nutritious Feed for Animals (AFP).
What is the meaning of Red Tractor?
The Red Tractor logo represents ‘farm to pack’ assurance and is the UK’s leading farm and quality food assurance scheme.
What is the purpose of the Red Tractor?
Red Tractor is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising food and drink standards in the United Kingdom. We champion British produce, farmers, and consumer safety, ensuring that your food is traceable, safe, and produced with care.
Does Red Tractor mean free range?
Red Tractor’s ‘Certified Standards’ cover everything you need to know about buying poultry, and Red Tractor’s ‘Free Range’ birds have access to outdoor ranges as well as even more indoor space, giving them plenty of opportunities to express their natural behaviors.
Is Red Tractor any good?
In a new study by Compassion in World Farming and OneKind, the Red Tractor scheme was found to offer little more on animal welfare than compliance with minimum legislation.
Why is Red Tractor bad?
Investigations have found animals kept in filth and squalor, cannibalism among animals ignored, and painful, gaping wounds left untreated on Red Tractoru2013assured farms.
Which supermarkets use red tractors?
Red Tractor Week will be supported by ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, Cooperative, Lidl, and Aldi, with promotional campaigns running in-store on pre-packaged branded goods such as meat and poultry, dairy, cereals, and other fresh produce.
Is Tesco meat Red Tractor?
Following Sainsbury’s removal of the Red Tractor logo from its food labels, Tesco has come out in support of the food quality assurance scheme, saying it will continue to carry the label on its products.
Is Red Tractor compulsory?
In the end, Mr Moseley says, Red Tractor membership is voluntary, and each company must decide whether the cost of membership and the benefits it provides are worthwhile for their business.
What is the most popular brand of tractor?
Which tractor company is the best in the world?
- Massey Ferguson.
- Case IH.
- Sonalika International.
- Escorts Group.
- Kubota.
- Fendt.
- Fendt.
Is all Red Tractor meat British?
Only products from British Red Tractor or equivalent certified farms can bear the Red Tractor logo, indicating that they can be traced all the way back to the British farms from which they came. Red Tractor farmers are also required to have regular visits from veterinarians to ensure the health of their animals.
What is Red Tractor accreditation?
Red Tractor is the UK’s largest food assurance scheme, claiming to ensure that food is traceable, safe to eat, and produced responsibly, with standards covering animal welfare, food safety, traceability, and environmental protection.
What is Red Tractor beef?
Red Tractor is the largest UK food standards scheme, championing British food, farming, and consumer safety. Red Tractor food is traceable, safe, and farmed with care because independent inspectors check every step of the food journey from farm to pack, totaling 60,000 checks per year.
Who owns Red Tractor?
The National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales is a trade union that represents farmers in England and Wales.