1 Consultation : October 2016SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO BEEF AND LAMB STANDARDS Consultation : October 2016

2 Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing timesAt Red Tractor we know that our standards must be kept up to date. With or without Brexit there will always be legal regulations and we cannot afford to fall behind and new issues emerge in the minds of shoppers who buy our products. So, we review our farm standards every three years and are just launching proposals for the next update to come into effect next year. The changes will provide positive re-assurance on some key issues. For the next few weeks we invite comments on the changes and we will consider all the responses before finalising the standards early next year.

3 Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing timesRodenticides and Environment Protection Regulations came into force to seriously restrict the use of rodenticides because of concerns that their use was damaging wild bird populations. Under the regulations users must take further training or they will only be able to buy rodenticides intended for amateur and domestic use. However, government has accepted that Red Tractor members are responsible users and should not face these restrictions. We are adding some details to the standards to secure these benefits. Our Crops standards have worked successfully with the Voluntary Initiative for many years to avoid pesticide residues on crops and pollution of the environment. We now propose to add simple environment protection measures to some livestock standards.

4 Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing timesBiosecurity We all know that outbreaks of disease can be devastating so we are proposing some changes to make current policies on biosecurity even clearer, for example, when using disinfectants. In the more intensive livestock sectors the focus will be on access to the unit by people and visitors and their impact on biosecurity. A key issue in recent press headlines has been the question of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Since Penicillin first came into use in the 1930s we have relied on antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine to treat a range of serious infectious disease. Now there is a major worry that the pathogens are rapidly getting resistant to them. Wild press reports that blame the entire problem on the use of antimicrobials in farming are clearly misguided, however, we all have a part to play to ensure responsible use. RUMA the alliance for Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture co-ordinates the food supply chain on this topic and Red Tractor is a long standing supporter of RUMA. UK practice is already good but we will introduce some additions, in line with the latest RUMA guidance.

5 Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing timesFresh Produce Many crops such as salads and fruit can go from the field to table with no cooking or processing. If the crop is contaminated in the field or during harvest there will be nothing to prevent it causing illness when it’s eaten and fresh produce has been the cause of a number of big outbreaks of illness in North America and on mainland Europe. The track record of UK-grown produce has actually been very good but we have still taken the opportunity to propose some improvements in this area. We have drawn on information from the International ‘Codex’ fresh produce guidance. Closer to home, the European Commission is just finalising its own guidance on microbiological risks in fresh produce and it is gratifying that they have used Red Tractor standards as the basis of some of their document. At the same time we have drawn some points from their draft which we believe will add further reassurance to the safety of Red Tractor salads. David Clarke CEO, Assured Food Standards

6 TRACEABILITY AND ASSURANCE STATUSStrengthened TI.c Additional requirements have been added to ensure the RT assurance chain is maintained through Assured Collection Centres.

7 VERMIN CONTROL StrengthenedVC.a Requiring vermin entry points are minimised VC.b By detailing what we mean by “bait must be used responsibly” Additional Standard VC.b.1 Requiring that permanent baiting is not routinely undertaken and setting out how this can be demonstrated All ensure RT maintains its recognition by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) as meeting its Code of Best Practice which promotes responsible rodenticide use and reduces risks to non-target species

8 HOUSING, SHELTER AND FACILITIESStrengthened HF.a Additional requirements have been added to ensure feeding equipment used on and off farm is kept clean and therefore reduces the risk of contamination HF.f.1 Revised requirements on tethering of livestock to ensure it is relevant to the sector and manages animal welfare

9 FEED AND WATER StrengthenedFW.a The standard has been strengthened to highlight the importance of forage/roughage for a healthy rumen. FW.c Additional requirements on water trough cleanliness and a requirement that water tanks do not run dry, therefore providing livestock with sufficient, clean water. FW.e Strengthened assurance requirements for bought in feed, including feed from neighbouring farms to ensure feed safety and traceability FW.g Strengthened requirements to clarify the record keeping requirements for feedstuffs (forage top-dressed with concentrates does not require records).

10 FEED AND WATER StrengthenedFW.k Additional requirements have been added to ensure feeding equipment used is kept clean and therefore reduces the risk of contamination FW.l Additional requirements have been added to ensure storage facilities are protected from access by vermin, wildlife and domesticated animals, therefore reducing the risk of contamination Additional: FW.a.2 A new standard focusing on body condition scoring as a welfare indicator and management tool.

11 ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFAREStrengthened AH.h.1 An additional requirement that the vet is required to review the collation of antibiotics as part of their review on medicine purchase and use to ensure that antibiotics are being used responsibly.

12 ARTIFICIALLY REARED YOUNGSTOCK (CALVES AND LAMBSStrengthened CR.b Additional requirement that youngstock are given forage as part of their feed from 8 days of age (latest) promoting the importance of forage/roughage for development of a healthy rumen.

13 BIOSECURITY AND DISEASE CONTROLStrengthened BI.a Introduced more robust requirements on when the biosecurity policy is updated (to reflect changes in practice in relation to health and performance reviews), what it covers to prevent disease spread and that it forms part of the health plan. BI.b Specified the disinfectants that can be used to prevent disease spread BI.c Identified biosecurity risks from within the farm holding

14 ANIMAL MEDICINES AND HUSBANDRY PROCEDURESStrengthened AM.f Additional requirement to record the length of withdrawal period in administration records to ensure withdrawal periods are accurate and adhered to Additional: AM.f.1 Requirement for the total antibiotic used to be collated annually. This demonstrates responsible use of medicines. AM.g.1 Requirement that animals leaving the holding are accompanied by a declaration from the producer where they are under statutory withdrawal for antibiotics to ensure responsible use of medicines and food safety. The aim of all is to help minimise the risk of antibiotic resistance to humans and animals

15 FALLEN STOCK StrengthenedFS.b Additional requirement to store fallen stock out of public view to protect Red Tractor brand. FS.c Additional, more robust requirements on fallen stock being stored and collected in a manner that does not threaten the biosecurity of the farm

16 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROLStrengthened EC.a. To require that injurious weeds are controlled in order to reduce the risk of livestock consuming them. This is a legal requirement EC.c Requires more robust controls around all wastes, but in particular chemical wastes e.g. empty PPP containers. All changes represent good practice for environmental protection EC.d Requires that any unapproved PPPs are stored in a manner that prevents contamination and pollution. EC.f To include legislative requirements and good practice around the application of PPPs EC.f.1 To include additional requirements on when an IPM plan is completed (areas between housing and buildings on-farm) EC.i.1 To require the calibration of PPP application equipment at least annually thus ensuring accurate applications to protect the wider environment EC.k Additional requirements on the storage of fertilisers to prevent contamination and pollution. Continued …....

17 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROLStrengthened: EC.m.1 To require that fertiliser applicators are checked annually for accurate application to prevent contamination and pollution. Additional: EC.d.1 Reflects legislative and Cross Compliance requirements for the use of PPPs e.g. PPPs must be appropriate for the use required, maximum permitted dose rates, etc EC.g.2 Requires any spraying contractors used to be suitably qualified and registered with a professional body for sprayers, the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) to ensure continuous professional development EC.g.3 Requires professional advisers used for PPP usage are suitably qualified and registered with the professional body BASIS. EC.i.4 Is a legal requirement and requires that surplus spray mix is dealt with responsibly. EC.m.2 To require professional advisers used for fertiliser usage are suitably qualified and registered with the professional body FACTS The aim of all is to reduce the risk of environmental contamination