Education

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Education Phase 4 Food assurance schemes
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Food assurance schemes EU law lays down
stringent requirements guaranteeing the standards
of all European products. In addition, EU quality
schemes identify products and foodstuffs farmed
and produced to exacting specifications. The
only EU enforced quality assurance schemes in the
food industry are the certification of regional
quality assurance in the European food industry
(Council Regulations (EEC) 2081/92 and (EEC)
2082/92) and the framework for organic farming
(Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91). The main
aim of quality assurance and certification
schemes is to differentiate the included products
from the rest of the production to obtain an
increased market price as well as a marketing
advantage.
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• Geographical indications and traditional
  specialities
• In 1993 EU legislation came into force which
  provides for a system for the protection of food
  names on a geographical or traditional recipe
  basis. The geographical indications and
  traditional specialities highlights regional and
  traditional foods whose authenticity and origin
  can be guaranteed. There are three separate
  schemes
• Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
• Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
• Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG).
• Under this system a named food or drink
  registered at a European level will be given
  legal protection against imitation throughout the
  EU.

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Geographical indications and traditional
specialities Producers who register their
products for protection benefit from having a
raised awareness of their product throughout
Europe. This may in turn help them take advantage
of consumers increasing awareness of the
importance of regional and speciality foods.
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The three schemes Protected Designation of
Origin - PDO  covers agricultural products and
foodstuffs which are produced, processed and
prepared in a given geographical area using
recognised know-how. Protected Geographical
Indication - PGI covers agricultural products
and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical
area. At least one of the stages of production,
processing or preparation takes place in the
area. Traditional Speciality Guaranteed -
TSG  highlights traditional character, either
in the composition or means of production.
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• What products are covered by the schemes?
• Most foods intended for human consumption are
  able to apply for registration including meat,
  dairy and fish products, honey, fruits and
  vegetables, beverages made from plant extracts,
  bread, pasta, pastries, cakes, biscuits and
  confectionary. Examples of other products which
  can also be registered under particular
  designations are as follows
• PDO and PGI natural gums and resins, hay,
  essential oils, mustard paste, cork, cochineal,
  flowers and ornamental plants, wool, wicker,
  scutched flax, cotton and salt
• TSG pre-cooked meals, prepared condiment
  sauces, soups and broths, ice cream and sorbets,
  chocolate (and other food preparations including
  cocoa).

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Examples of registered foods
Cornish Pasty
Mozzarella
Tarta de Santiago
Oscypek
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Other schemes The schemes regarding geographical
indications and traditional specialities operate
in the market alongside an increasing number of
public and private certification schemes.
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Red Tractor UK The Red Tractor scheme was
started by UK farmers, food producers and
retailers and was launched in 2000. The Red
Tractor scheme is a food assurance scheme which
covers production standards developed by experts
on safety, hygiene, animal welfare and the
environment amongst other factors. All suppliers
in the Red Tractor food chain are inspected and
certified by an independent professional body.
The Red Tractor certifies that food has been
produced to these independently inspected
standards right across the food chain from farm
to pack.
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Red Tractor The Red Tractor logo on the pack
means the food or drink has met these responsible
production standards and is fully traceable back
to independently inspected farms in the UK.
Multi-ingredient products must contain at least
95 Red Tractor certified ingredients to be
labelled as Red Tractor products. Up to 5
non-Red Tractor ingredients are permitted to
allow for minor ingredients such as seasoning,
herbs and spices. Processors are allowed to use
the logo to highlight that the main ingredient is
produced to Red Tractor standards, even if some
of the other ingredients in the product are not
from assured sources, for example the pork in a
sausage. However criteria applies (e.g. the named
ingredient must comprise at least 65 of the
food).
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Red Tractor Assurance Schemes There are 'core'
schemes (shown below) in six product sectors, all
wholly owned by Red Tractor.
Scheme Products covered
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme Cereals, oilseeds, pulses and sugar
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Fresh Produce Scheme Fruit, vegetables and salad
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Poultry Scheme Chicken
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Pig Scheme Pig meat
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Dairy Scheme Milk
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms Beef and Lamb Scheme Beef and lamb
Red Tractor Assurance for Farm Meat Processing Scheme Beef and lamb, Chicken, Pork

• More information about Red Tractor can be found
  on
• http//www.redtractor.org.uk/home
• http//ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/certificat
  ion/docs/case9_en.pdf

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Neuland Germany Neuland was established in
1988 as a private scheme, as an association for
applying good animal practice and environmentally
friendly livestock production. The goal of the
scheme is to establish a quality orientated,
animal and environment friendly livestock
production on many farms across Germany. Neuland
has a robust system of regulations and guidelines
for producing meat which every single producer
has to adhere to. The core emphasis in these
guidelines is the principle of keeping animals as
much as possible in their natural environment.
Animals covered by the scheme include pigs,
cattle, broiler poultry, laying hens and sheep.
The typical chain is that animals are being
sold for a fair price (for the producer), then
slaughtered and finally marketed to specialty
meat outlets, catering or restaurants.
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• Guidelines
• There are specific guidelines for each animal,
  however generally guidelines consist of criteria
  concerning
• Livestock husbandry
• Feed
• Transport
• Livestock care
• Grassland usage
• Conversion of farms
• Control.

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• Guidelines Pork production
• There are many rules for pork producers to follow
  under the Neuland scheme, including
• Pork producers must convert the entire farm to
  Neuland condition and are not allowed to leave
  parts of it under conventional conditions.
• In terms of feed only domestically produced feed
  is allowed, as this excludes the use of GMO or
  Soya feed and any growth enhancing supplements or
  antibiotics, which is prohibited as feed.
• The upper limit of livestock for a Neuland
  producer is strictly regulated with a piglet
  producer only allowed to have 95 sows, whereas
  for pig fattening the upper limit is 650
  fattening places. As well as benefiting the
  livestock (e.g. more space and more time for the
  producer to care for the livestock), this also
  prevents large scale producers joining the scheme
  and dominating it.

• More information on Neuland can be found on
• http//www.neuland-fleisch.de/
• http//ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/certificat
  ion/docs/case7_en.pdf