Supplier Beacon Foods jumps on Red Tractor bandwagon

The logo, which promotes products that meet high standards of production relating to food safety and hygiene, animal welfare, traceability and environmental protection, is recognised by the British foodservice industry and consumers as a quality assurance badge. "We are delighted to achieve a Red Tractor licence to extend our offer to customers, as we are very proud to fly the flag for quality UK food," said Beacon Foods managing director Edward Gough. "Several of our key customers have requested the Red Tractor accreditation and we supply many accredited food manufacturers." The company already holds British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety accreditation, which Gough said was regarded as the benchmark for best practice in the food industry. Red Tractor aims to ensure cleanliness and hygiene all the way from the farm, encourages responsible farming methods and guarantees the origin of food. It provides an independently verified guarantee that the food has been farmed, processed and packed in the UK. More than 78,000 farmers and 500 plus food packers and manufacturers now working to Red Tractor standards are independently checked, verified and inspected. Red Tractor products can be traced right back to their farms of origin. A family business established in 1993, Beacon Foods employs 100 people and claims to be the UK's leading specialist producer of roasted and char grilled vegetables and fruit ranges, relishes, chutneys and sauces.