Fresh Produce Standards
HARVESTING Version 5.1
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Key – Those standards which have greater significance (all other standards are normal)
Recommendation – Those which do not affect certification
New – A completely new standard which the member must now adhere to
Revised – A standard that has changed and requires the member to take some different or additional action to before
Upgraded – The standard has been upgraded to a Key standard or from a Recommendation to a full standard
Appendix – Referenced in ‘How you will be measured’. Indicates that additional information is provided in the Appendices, which are available at the end of each section.
Cropping Categories Fresh Produce
Category 0 - Those you can eat raw and have a significant risk or history of pathogen contamination
Category 1 - Those you can eat raw and which do not have a protective skin that is removed before eating; they may also have a significant risk or history of pathogen contamination.
Category 2 - Those you can eat raw and which either have protective skin or grow clear of the ground, or that have no history of pathogen contamination.
Category 3 - Those that the customer always cooks.
An up-to-date list of the crop categories can be found on the Red Tractor website.
PR.HS.1
Written staff hygiene policies and/or procedures must be in place, communicated to personnel and compliance monitored.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.1.a
PR.HS.1.b
- Hygiene Policy
– Personnel training records/agency labour training records
– Plaster issue record
PR.HS.2
All staff handling crops are given training in the Staff Hygiene Policy as part of the staff induction before starting work.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.2.a
PR.HS.2.b
PR.HS.2.c
Training records/agency labour training records
PR.HS.3
All visitors that enter crop production areas must be made aware of any site hygiene and Health and Safety requirements.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.3.a
PR.HS.3.b
PR.HS.3.c
PR.HS.3.d
Visitor/Contractor Hygiene Policy
PR.HS.4
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate to the crop type being produced must be provided and maintained in good condition. (REVISED)
How you will be measured
PR.HS.4.a
PR.HS.4.b
PR.HS.4.c
PR.HS.4.d
PR.HS.4.e
PR.HS.4.f
PR.HS.4.g
PR.HS.4.h
PR.HS.4.i
- PPE requirement policy
– Glove use procedure
– Contract laundry audit report
PR.HS.5 Key
Clean and maintained facilities that are accessible to all personnel and enable them to ensure an appropriate degree of personal hygiene must be provided.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.5.a
PR.HS.5.b
PR.HS.5.c
PR.HS.5.d
- Hygiene policy
– Toilet cleaning records
PR.HS.6
Written procedures for reporting any infectious diseases must be in place and communicated to personnel and visitors.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.6.a
PR.HS.6.b
PR.HS.6.c
PR.HS.6.d
PR.HS.6.e
PR.HS.6.f
- Return to work Policy
– Hygiene policy
– Visitor/Contractor Hygiene Policy
– Return to work questionnaire
– Training records
PR.HS.7
All tools, equipment, crates, boxes and transportation used in harvesting must be kept clean and maintained to prevent product contamination.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.7.a
PR.HS.7.b
PR.HS.7.c
PR.HS.7.d
PR.HS.7.e
PR.HS.7.f
PR.HS.7.g
PR.HS.7.h
- Cleaning schedules
– Cleaning records
– Maintenance records
PR.HS.8
Containers/crates/boxes used to store and transport product must be dedicated to that use.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.8.a
PR.HS.8.b
PR.HS.8.c
PR.HS.8.d
PR.HS.9
Suitability of multi-purpose trailers must be assessed as part of the Risk Assessment and trailers are cleaned prior to being used to transport product.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.9.a
PR.HS.9.b
- Risk Assessment
– Cleaning Procedures
– Cleaning records
PR.HS.10
Controls must be in place to protect product from contamination with any broken glass, hard plastic, wood or other foreign bodies.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.10.a
PR.HS.10.b
PR.HS.10.c
PR.HS.10.d
PR.HS.10.e
PR.HS.10.f
- Glass and hard plastic checks records
– Glass breakage policy/procedure
– Training records
PR.HS.11
Controls must be in place to prevent the risk of product contamination from knives and cutting blades, secateurs, maintenance tools, gloves and plasters.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.11.a
PR.HS.11.b
Knife issue record (where used)
PR.HS.12
Daily start-up checks are completed for harvesting operations to ensure that any risks to product are identified and addressed.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.12.a
PR.HS.12.b
PR.HS.12.c
Daily start-up checks
PR.HS.13
A written procedure must be in place that details actions to be taken in the event of identification of contamination in a field crop.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.13.a
Contamination procedure
PR.HS.14
Procedures must be in place to ensure packaging used is clean and free from contamination.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.14.a
PR.HS.14.b
PR.HS.14.c
Documented controls for packaging
PR.HS.15
Transportation and temporary storage of harvested products must be managed to minimise contamination risks.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.15.a
PR.HS.15.b
PR.HS.15.c
PR.HS.16
Where product temperature is identified as a food safety or quality control within the Risk Assessment, product is cooled as soon as possible after harvest and in accordance with the defined cooling parameters.
How you will be measured
PR.HS.16.a
PR.HS.16.b
Risk Assessment
PR.HS.17
All non-produce waste must be removed from fields and disposed of appropriately.
For more information on microbiological contamination risks, visit: http://freshproduceportal.foodstandards.gov.scot/resources
More Standards
Download Fresh Produce Standards Manual
Download Fresh Produce Standards Manual – Including GLOBALG.A.P Module
Download the changes to the Fresh Produce Standards from 1 February 2025
Download watercress protocol
Download hops protocol
Useful Documents
UK Crops grown and risk categories
Fresh Produce assessment structure
Where harvest is completed under the management of another Red Tractor Fresh Produce member with an assessment scope covering harvest and all relevant crops, members may opt for a Fresh Produce membership without harvest. In such cases, this section need not be assessed but certification bodies must record details of the Red Tractor member with responsibility for harvest and ensure that it is current and that all relevant crops are covered.
- HS.4 – Where PPE or work wear is provided exclusively for the protection of workers and is not deemed to be a product contamination risk, it may be appropriate for this PPE to taken into and worn in non-operational areas
- HS.12 – For efficiency, daily start-up checks may also encompass other requirements for documented checks within this section, including glass and plastic checks (HS.9) and knife issue (HS.10)
- HS.15 – Examples of crops which may be transported or stored without covers include root vegetables, transported in bulkers where the product will subsequently undergo a processing step to remove soil and stones
