Red Tractor is currently reviewing its farm-facing standards and assessment processes. The review aims to utilise new technologies, data and stakeholder feedback to streamline assessments, support the reduction of audit burden, and maintain customer confidence, while ensuring standards remain relevant to the farming sectors they serve.
As part of the process, each Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has been meeting regularly to review Red Tractor’s farm-facing standards line-by-line.
Fresh Produce
Barbara Bray MBE, Chair of the Fresh Produce TAC says, “The TAC has been meeting regularly to review the existing standards and is now moving towards completing its review of the core requirements. We’re taking a line by line approach and remain committed to reducing duplication and developing smarter, outcome focused standards reflecting current legislation, new evidence and real-world compliance data.”
A leafy salads bolt-on has been drafted with the aim of addressing industry concerns around STEC contamination. It’s due to be launched later in 2026 before potentially being integrated into the core standards, forming part of the standards review.
The review covers 179 standards and 480 audit points, which are assessed through workshops, shared documentation, and engagement with stakeholders to ensure consistency with other schemes.
The next step is for the TAC to share draft sections of the updated standards with the Sector Board for feedback when they are completed.
Poultry
The Poultry TAC has begun to review the existing standards, based on priorities agreed at the end of 2025. Judith Irons, Chair of the Poultry TAC says: “This is to ensure that Red Tractor continues to verify the high welfare, food safety and traceability practices that define British-grown poultry, strengthening the scheme’s role as a trusted mark and add value across the supply chain.” The review will also aim to include the smarter use of data to highlight sector strengths. This will help to further differentiate and promote British poultry production.
This will be a multi-stage process, starting with a check of standards against a broad range of requirements. A detailed redrafting stage will then follow. Changes to the standards will be evidence-based and proportionate, maintaining alignment with other sectors so that consumers continue to recognise Red Tractor as a single, trusted mark.
Dairy
Since October 2025, the Dairy TAC has met every few weeks, and as of mid-April, has finished reviewing half of its 16 modules, with a ninth nearing completion. The TAC has given the Board a schedule of its review plan, and is taking a thorough, line by line approach with every standard. Amy Jackson, Chair of the Dairy TAC says: “The focus is on reducing duplication to develop smarter, outcome focused standards that reflect current and pending legislation, new evidence and real-world compliance data – although it is recognised that streamlining data collection will be just as important in reducing audit burden.”
To ensure transparency and collaboration, the TAC is sharing draft sections of the revised standards with the Dairy Sector Board for review as they become available. At its last meeting, the Board welcomed the constructive way all parts of the supply chain were contributing to the process.
Crops
The Crops TAC has worked together to look at removing or simplifying requirements where possible to reduce audit burden, whilst maintaining food safety and market access. This first stage has now concluded and work will continue establishing a way forward that considers the requirements of all stakeholders.
Alan King, Chair of the Crops TAC says: “In what are challenging times for our industry we are grateful for the support of our TAC members from all across the crops supply chain for their contributions to this extensive and detailed review process.”
Beef & Lamb
The Beef & Lamb TAC are making excellent progress reviewing all standards and audit points, reviewing on a word-by-word, line-by-line basis to make sure that they are all applicable, appropriate, robust and evidence-based. The aim is to reorder the standards for clarity and better assessment flow; and to allow the assessors to focus on the livestock, with clear consistency between assessors.
Feedback on the priorities for this review were limited by align with Red Tractor’s existing priorities of reducing bureaucracy, smarter audits, clarity of standards, improving import parity, and strengthening earned recognition. Prof. Jude Capper, TAC Chair said: “The TAC are working incredibly hard on making sure that beef & lamb standards fulfil the expectations of all stakeholders and provide real value in demonstrating the high safety, welfare and traceability practiced on British farms. We are excited to see and act upon the feedback from future consultations.”
Pigs
The Pigs TAC has now begun reviewing the standards, so far looking at Documents & Procedures, Personnel and Vermin Control. At the end of 2025, two new modules were introduced to the Red Tractor Pigs Scheme – Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred and Free Range – accompanied by distinctive on-pack logos to clearly communicate higher animal welfare inputs to shoppers.
Stewart Houston, Chair of The Pig Sector Board says: “Developed by the industry and subject to extensive consultation, the new modules are underpinned by standards that provide outdoor producers, who participate in multiple schemes, with a way of reducing their on-farm audits while maintaining access to existing markets.
“They were benchmarked against existing market standards to ensure they reflect meaningful, recognised welfare standards while fitting within the practical realities of commercial pig production.”
As with the last major standards review, your responses will be key to how we take the new Version 6 forward. It will be an honest consultation, with all views taken into account, with post revue comms listing the key points from the review.