Food certification and assurance schemes explained
Red Tractor, RSPCA, Freedom Food, BRC the list goes on and on, but what does it all mean? Standing there in the supermarket being faced with many different logos, and certificates can be a bit overwhelming, so I thought I would explain some in a little detail, to help you understand what you’re buying. As most of us want to be sure what we are buying and ensure the quality of our products.
Red Tractor
This is the most common logo is Red Tractor, this covers all aspects of the supply chain from farms to fork. This includes food safety and traceability, animal welfare, and environmental protection. The logo is not just about Farm Assurance. Standards must be met at every critical link in the food supply chain. The Union Jack in the logo indicates food has been farmed, processed and packed all in the UK.
Our Red Tractor/Freedom Food Retail Products include:
Houghton Hams Sliced Wiltshire Ham 140g
Houghton Hams Northamptonshire Cured Sliced Cooked Ham 140g
Houghton Hams Northamptonshire Cured Sliced Breadcrumbed Ham 140g
Houghton Hams Northamptonshire Cured Sliced Honey Roast Ham 140g
RSPCA/Freedom Food
If there’s a Freedom Food logo on the packaging of the meat, fish and eggs you buy, you know the animals have been inspected to the RSPCA’s strict farm animal welfare standards.
The RSPCA welfare standards cover every aspect of the animal’s life, including feed and water provision, their environment, how they’re managed, health care, transport and humane slaughter. It’s not just farmers who have to meet the standards, it’s everyone involved in the animals’ lives – so they also assess hatcheries, transporters, animal handlers, abattoirs and processors. In addition, RSPCA farm livestock officers carry out monitoring visits.
