Red Tractor introduces measures to reduce audit burden for meat processors

Red Tractor has announced four measures designed to help meat and poultry processors minimize audit duplication and improve efficiency. These optional changes follow engagement with the food assurance sector.

Key initiatives include the option for businesses holding both BRCGS Food Safety and Red Tractor Meat and Poultry Processing (RTMPP) certifications to undergo joint assessments, provided they use the same certification body. Additionally, eligible members may opt out of the Red Tractor Traceability and Integrity module assessment where duplication occurs.

To further reduce administrative requirements, RTMPP-certified sites that are also Red Tractor licensees can reduce the frequency of their Traceability Challenge from annually to every two years. To qualify, sites must be part of a licensed group, undergo joint unannounced assessments, achieve a BRCGS grade between AA* and B*, and have no traceability-related non-conformances.

Red Tractor has also removed the requirement for pork licensees to be certified against specific British Meat Processors Association Quality Pork Charter modules and equivalent RTMPP pork quality modules.