Red Tractor Launches Six-Week Consultation On Fresh Produce Standards

Red Tractor has opened a six-week consultation on proposed changes to its Fresh Produce Standards, which aim to strengthen food safety controls for higher-risk crops, clarify requirements, and reduce duplication across the assurance scheme.

Running from 10 November to 22 December 2026, the consultation period offers growers and stakeholders across the supply chain, including retailers, agronomists, and industry bodies, the opportunity to review the proposals and provide feedback.

Growers are being encouraged to examine the proposals relevant to their crops, and consider whether the suggested requirements would be practical and proportionate for their businesses.

Greater Focus On Higher-Risk Crops

A key element of the proposed changes is the extension of relevant controls from the existing Leafy Salads add-on into the core standards for applicable higher-risk crops.

The proposed controls cover field and irrigation water risk assessments, manure management, pre-harvest checks, and product handling. 

They also include microbiological swabbing in packhouses, and measures to prevent contamination from condensation in cold stores.

However, the proposals recognise that food safety risks vary between crops. 

Growers of lower-risk produce, such as potatoes, would not be expected to comply with every additional control designed for higher-risk crops.

Reducing Duplication Without Lowering Standards

Another priority is to simplify requirements that are currently repeated across harvesting, packing, and site operations.

Areas identified for consolidation include food safety policies and staff training, which would enable compliance to be assessed once across a business rather than separately at each stage.

Where requirements are consolidated to reduce duplication, growers would still need to meet the relevant obligations, but these would no longer be repeated in different sections of the standards.

Veryan Bliss, chair of Red Tractor’s Fresh Produce Sector Board, said reducing the assessment burden was an important consideration, but emphasised that essential food safety measures would remain.

“We know the burden of assessments is a real concern for growers, especially when requirements are repeated, but this isn’t about reducing standards for the sake of it,” Bliss explained.

“If a control matters for food safety and gives customers confidence in British produce, it needs to stay.

A Comprehensive Review 

The review of Red Tractor’s Fresh Produce Standards is designed to recognise the diversity of crops and production systems covered by the scheme.

“There are significant differences between crops, so we’ve had growers and representatives from across the supply chain looking closely at every requirement,” Bliss pointed out.

“The aim is to make sure we’re asking the right things of growers, with standards that protect food safety and reflect the different risks across crops.”

The review was led by the Fresh Produce Technical Advisory Committee, comprising growers, consultants, and representatives from across the fresh produce supply chain, including customers. 

Members volunteered many months to examine the standards and audit points alongside their existing responsibilities.

In total, 717 standards and audit points were reviewed. 

Each requirement was assessed against criteria including relevance to different crops, food safety, clarity, auditability, and assurance value. 

The resulting proposals were then scrutinised by Red Tractor’s Fresh Produce Sector Board and Standards Committee.

Industry Invited To Have Its Say

The consultation forms part of the improvements Red Tractor committed to following the Farm Assurance Review.

Growers and other industry stakeholders are being encouraged to consider the proposed changes carefully, particularly where requirements could have different implications for individual crops, production systems or business operations. 

“We want to hear from growers, agronomists, advisers, assessors and businesses across the supply chain,” noted Bliss.

“If something won’t work for your crop or business, tell us why. If there’s a more practical way to demonstrate compliance, give us an example. That’s the kind of feedback we need to get the final standards right.”

The proposals also seek to retain requirements that support GLOBALG.A.P. and SAI Platform benchmarking in order to help preserve the assurance value of the scheme and confidence across the supply chain.

The consultation runs until 22 December 2026, with all responses required to be submitted through Red Tractor’s online consultation portal.

Existing Fresh Produce Standards will remain in place throughout the consultation period. 

Revised standards will be confirmed once feedback has been considered and the necessary approval processes completed.

Submit your feedback before 22 December here.