Red Tractor has introduced four measures to help meat and poultry processors reduce audit duplication and make better use of existing certification.
The options include joint Red Tractor Meat and Poultry Processing (RTMPP) and BRCGS Food Safety assessments, and allowing eligible businesses to avoid duplicate traceability checks.
RTMPP-certified sites that are also Red Tractor licensees can reduce the frequency of their Traceability Challenge from annually to once every two years, provided they meet specified conditions.
These include undergoing a joint unannounced BRCGS and RTMPP assessment, achieving a BRCGS grade between AA* and B*, and having no traceability-related non-conformances.
Eligible members receiving joint assessments can also opt out of the Red Tractor scheme’s Traceability and Integrity module assessment where duplication exists.
Separately, Red Tractor has removed the requirement for pork licensees to be certified against certain British Meat Processors Association Quality Pork Charter modules and equivalent RTMPP pork quality modules.
British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths said: “Assurance needs to work for businesses as well as providing confidence across the supply chain. The options provided by Red Tractor recognise the significant requirements poultry meat processors already meet and offer a more practical approach to managing assurance assessments.”
Red Tractor said the measures were optional and followed engagement with the processing sector.