Assurance becomes more efficient when audit evidence is genuinely reusable

Red Tractor has introduced four options intended to reduce duplicated assurance activity for meat and poultry processors. The move does not remove assurance requirements and is not mandatory. Its significance is that existing certificates and controls can be recognised where they demonstrably cover the same risk.

The first option allows joint Red Tractor Meat and Poultry Processing and BRCGS Food Safety assessments when both certifications are conducted by the same certification body. The second permits, under defined conditions, the Red Tractor Traceability and Integrity module not to be assessed again. In addition, certain certified sites can reduce the frequency of their Traceability Challenge from annually to every two years.

That final option is tied to specific conditions: membership of a licensed group, a joint unannounced audit, a BRCGS grade between AA* and B*, permission for Red Tractor to see the BRCGS report, and no BRCGS traceability non-conformances. For pork licensees, the requirement to be certified against certain BMPA Quality Pork Charter modules or equivalent RTMPP pork-quality modules has also been removed.