Red Tractor Assurance has opened an industry-wide consultation on changes to its farm standards, to be introduced in October 2017. Although Assured Food Standards, which runs the scheme said its consultation is part of a process conducted every three years, it plans to investigate strengthening standards to reflect consumers’ desires.

With the UK farming industry being asked to play its part in reducing antibiotic use, Red Tractor is planning to take best practice advice from RUMA (the industry-led Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture group) for its updated standards. In a statement on Monday, the assurers also said fresh produce standards (for fruit, veg and salad producers) will be raised to minimise the risk of contamination that can cause illness and livestock producers will have to meet stricter biosecurity conditions.

Commenting on the consultation, Assured Food Standards’ chief executive, David Clarke, said, “The Red Tractor logo is recognised by consumers as a guarantee that the food they are buying is safe, traceable and produced to good standards of animal welfare with minimal impact on the environment. That reputation is built upon the standards which have been maintained by our scheme members for more than 15 years. The UK farming industry is immensely proud of the standards it adheres to and we want to work together to ensure that we have a modern, progressive scheme that is something to shout about across the world.

“The needs of UK farming’s customers continually evolve and it’s vital that we do the same to stay ahead of the game. The proposals provide positive re-assurance on some topical issues and address new issues that have emerged in the minds of shoppers who buy our products.”

In 2014, former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King told delegates at the NFU conference that the Red Tractor scheme “sets the bar low,” stating that “frankly anybody” could use the logo, and warning that such schemes which meet only minimum welfare and production standards “are the refuge of scoundrels”. Sainsbury’s supermarkets began phasing out use of the logo in 2012, stating that too much labelling was confusing for customers. Waitrose doesn't use the scheme either, as the supermarket maintains its own welfare standards are higher, and its suppliers are audited regularly. 

Before Sainsbury’s stopped using the assurance scheme, Red Tractor had courted controversy over claims made in adverts that its assurance meant meat met high welfare standards, which were judged to be misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The consultation is open until the end of the year, and further information can be found here.