The Red Tractor logo was launched in 2000 and quickly became established on ‘primary’ products such as meat, bottles of milk, fruit and vegetables and so on. In 2006 we extended this to allow the logo to be used to highlight the main ingredient of foods with more than one ingredient such as the beef in a sausage. This section explains why and how.
Why have we done this?
Whilst a lot of farm products are sold as ‘primary’ foods’, many more are sold in foods that include a mixture of ingredients. AFS wants to be able to tell consumers that the main ingredient in these foods is assured and where it is from. We believe that assured farmers should have recognition on-pack for producing the main ingredient. AFS wants to support assured farmers in the bid to meet consumer demand and to increase business.
What sort of products might be excluded without the 2006 criteria?
Lots of them. A good example is assured meat and poultry cuts that would be labelled with the Red Tractor logo for most of the year. But in the summer season the logo could not be used on the same cuts when coated in BBQ sauce or flavourings. Assured milk could not carry the logo if it was flavoured and potato chips or crisps, which include oil as well as assured potato, could not be labelled. Often it was not practical to get all the minor ingredients from assured sources but this stopped us from telling consumers about the main ingredient.
What are the criteria?
- 1. The main ingredient being promoted must be named.
- 2. It must come from the usual assured chain.
- 3. It must be at least 65% of the total product.
- 4. All of the named main ingredient must be assured. Even if, for example, 65% of the beef in a beef burger is assured, the product cannot contain any additional beef from another source as all the named ingredient must be assured.
- 5. The Union flag in the Red Tractor logo on these foods is the consumer’s guarantee that the product is wholly British
How is it managed and controlled?
The Red Tractor logo can only be used under licence from AFS. The use of the logo on Principal Ingredient products is authorised by AFS on a case-by-case basis. All our producers and processors are audited by independent inspectors to ensure that the rules are being followed.
Can we highlight any assured ingredient with Red Tractor logo?
No. If the ingredient is only a small part of the product this would mislead consumers. In fact it could even contravene regulations on food labelling.
What limit applies?
At the very minimum the ingredient highlighted must be 65% of the total ingredients. In many foods already using this form of labelling it will often be much higher, often 80% or 90%.
Must all of the named ingredient be Red Tractor assured?
Yes, definitely. If you highlight the beef in a beef burger or the milk in a flavoured milk ALL the beef ingredients or ALL the milk must be from a Red Tractor assured supply chain.
But if the beef content is more than 65% is it OK if some of the beef (65% of the product) is assured and the rest not assured?
Absolutely not. All of the named ingredient must be assured.
Are there any rules covering the other ingredients?
It has always been a Red Tractor rule that processors and packers must work to the very high standards of the British Retail Consortium Global Standard (BRC). Even if the other raw materials are not Red Tractor assured the processor must take every care in their sourcing and the factory will operate to the highest standards of hygiene and food safety.
What if only a tiny proportion of the food is non-assured?
We have an allowance (5%) for ingredients such as salt, pepper, seasonings and other minor ingredients. For example if a piece of assured meat has a small amount of seasoning (5% or less) the Red Tractor logo can be used without the name of the meat below it.
If the food has many ingredients most of which are assured then the logo can also be used without a name. For example if more than 95% of the ingredients of a sausage, the meat and the rusk, are Red Tractor assured then the ingredients do not have to be named and the standard Red Tractor logo can be used.
How can I use the Red Tractor logo in this way?
Everyone packing or selling food labelled with Red Tractor logo must be licensed by Assured Food Standards (AFS). To use the logo to highlight one ingredient you must inform us of every product that will be labelled in this way, provide information on composition and labelling artwork and get specific approvals from us.
How does the shopper know what ingredient the logo refers to?
There must be a statement next to the logo. In effect this is telling the shopper the product is made from Red Tractor assured milk or cereal or whatever the name under the logo. We know that space is limited and this can be done simply as illustrated. The statement must be prominent so as not to mislead consumers and we provide design guidelines that must be followed.
Do any other logos operate the same system?
Quality marks and logos that apply to a single ingredient such as meat or fish often appear in mixed ingredient products for example to highlight the ham in a sandwich or the fish in a fish pie. In these cases the consumer is unlikely to believe that the meat quality mark applies to the bread, butter or salad in the sandwich. Other marks have faced the same challenges as the Red Tractor logo.
What about food service?
A number of restaurants and catering outlets are beginning to specify Red Tractor assured foods from their suppliers. With the wide range of products covered by Red Tractor logo it is almost inconceivable that every ingredient can be sourced from Red Tractor sources all of the time. Operators can use the Red Tractor logo but they must make it clear which foods the logo refers to.
How is the logo displayed in food service?
The logo and the information about the products it refers to can be on menus, display boards, leaflets or any where else. Compared to labels on retail packs there is often more space available on point of sale material in food service outlets. A typical statement is ‘All of our fresh meat and poultry is Red Tractor assured’.
How do you make sure that food service customers get the right information?
The key principles are:
- 1. There must be a clear statement alongside the logo to make it clear which raw materials and ingredients are Red Tractor assured.
- 2. Positioning of the logo and any words describing it must not imply that some foods are Red Tractor assured when they are not.
- 3. There must be a contingency plan to deal with situations where the ingredients that come from suppliers don’t match the claims printed on the menus or other point of sale material
What controls are in place?
Like all other situations where Red Tractor is used, the outlets must be licensed by AFS. We will need to know what Red Tractor products the caterer is using and who supplies them. Proposed point of sale material must be submitted to AFS for approval.
What is a ‘Red Tractor’ ingredient?
Red Tractor ingredients come from farm assured producers who belong to one of the schemes owned or recognised by AFS. Other standards apply after the farm gate, for example in transportation or processing, to ensure the safety of the food and in livestock the welfare of animals. These vary according to the commodity and more information is available in The Standards section of this website.
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