What does Red Tractor mean?
Red Tractor is a food assurance scheme which indicates if food has been farmed and produced according to independently inspected standards. The scheme not only covers pig farms and feed but also livestock transportation, the slaughtering process and production methods. Farmers must observe over 130 standards relating to pig farming and welfare at all stages. These range from the design of pig accommodation to staff training, health monitoring, feed, pig transportation and overall pig management therefore ensuring a healthy environment for pigs.
The Red Tractor scheme has evolved from several independent pig farm and meat processing assurance schemes including the British Quality Assured Pork scheme (BQAP). It is now owned by the entire food industry but licensed by Assured Food Standards (AFS) and serves to provide the public with a recognisable mark of quality, safe and affordable food that they can trust.
The scheme ensures thorough traceability meaning all Red Tractor pork products can be traced back to Red Tractor farms.