Assured Food Standards

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Red Tractor was established in 2000 by the National Farmers Union of England and Wales, and has grown to become the UK’s biggest farm and food standards scheme, covering all of animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection.
It is a not for profit company, run by the food industry to ensure food comes from a trustworthy and safe source.
"The way that our food is farmed and prepared is regularly checked by independent experts to make sure it is of a good standard."

During the year, ... income was received from DEFRA's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which stands as a guarantor of the company. Sir Peter Kendal, a director of AFS, was chairman of the AHDB during the year.(AR-2017)

Company

Ownership

ToDo: Assurance Schemes and Checker Services, Board, Funding, Partners, ... ...

Structure

ToDo: See CH

Assured Food Standards controls Red Tractor Food Assurance Ltd (100%), CH, OC

Articles

  • May.01.2012: Red Tractor logo no guarantee of animal standards, report claims. Britain's largest food label, the Red Tractor, lays down the lowest animal welfare standards of any quality mark, and shoppers should look for kinder schemes, according to new research. A 60-page report into assurance schemes in the UK found that Red Tractor, officially known as "Assured Food Standards", did little more than meet legal requirements – and allowed practices such as the docking of pigs' tails without anaesthetic. Instead, the two charities behind the report, Compassion in World Farming and OneKind, advised consumers to buy meat carrying the RSPCA or Soil Association logos. The report carried out an in-depth assessment of Red Tractor, British Lion Mark, RSPCA Freedom Food and Soil Association schemes, as well as Quality Meat Scotland and the Scottish Organic Producers Association. Launched in 2000 and carried on £12bn worth of food annually, the Assured Food Standards logo guarantees basic British standards, which are higher than imports from some countries with lower welfare legislation. But it scored "poorly" in the study because it allowed (among other things) mutilations of pigs, tethering of sheep and cattle, zero-grazing of dairy cows, and genetically modified or cloned animals and their offspring. It also generally provided less space and comfort than rival marks. Soil Association meat had the highest standards for all eight livestock categories – pigs, dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, broiler chickens, turkeys, laying hens and farmed salmon – with RSPCA Freedom Food in second place. Martin Hickman, The Independent.
  • Apr.2017: Farm Animal Welfare in Supermarkets. Now in its sixth year, the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) assesses how global food companies (retailers and wholesalers, producers and manufacturers, and restaurants and bars) manage and report on farm animal welfare. Consumer pressure has been a key factor in propelling UK supermarkets’ action on farm animal welfare. The BBFAW 2015 report was compiled in collaboration with leading animal welfare organisations Compassion in World Farming and World Animal Protection, and investment firm Coller Capital Ltd. It reveals that companies are generally increasing the importance they attach to farm animal welfare. All the supermarkets in our product guide get our worst rating in our Factory Farming and Animal Rights categories because they all sell animal products from factory-farmed animals, be it non-free range or organic meat, poultry, dairy, eggs or fish. However, differences can be seen in their stated policies and practices. And some supermarkets sell more free range or organic products than others. more Ethical Consumer.
  • Jul.24.2010: Consuming Issues: What that tiny Red Tractor logo on meat means. According to the Assured Farm Standards Board, which represents the mark's owners who include the National Farmers Union and British Retail Consortium, the Red Tractor guarantees safe, quality food that meets animal welfare standards. In reality, the scheme, celebrating its 10th anniversary, does little more than meet the law and is primarily a marketing tool for British farming. In its low and mean-minded animal welfare standards, the Red Tractor is a shocker. Anyone thinking it somehow means a good life for farm animals should take a reality check: it does not. Not everyone can afford free-range or organic, but in my view, Freedom Foods should be the minimum standard shoppers look for. The Red Tractor scheme assures you only that the meat has come from British factory farms, where they grow mutant chickens and cut off pigs' tails without anaesthetic. Martin Hickman, The Independent.