Earned Recognition - approved assurance schemes

We have introduced a reduced inspection frequency (earned recognition) for compliant businesses who are members of FSA approved assurance schemes in the areas of primary production (2006), dairy hygiene (2011), and animal feed (2014). 

Approved assurance schemes

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works on behalf of members in the agricultural supply sector. AIC represents a variety of sectors within the feed industry and manages several assurance schemes.

We approved the following assurance schemes:

• Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS)
• Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC)
• Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS)

AIC operates to a Memorandum of Understanding with the FSA, Food Standards Scotland and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

England, Northern Ireland and Wales

PDF

View MOU for Agricultural Industries Confederation as PDF(Open in a new window) (686.61 KB)

Approved Assurance Schemes in feed and food sectors

Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) is a whole chain assurance scheme which covers food safety, traceability, animal welfare and environmental protection.

The RTA logo can be applied to food products to show that businesses in that supply chain have met RTA standards and that products are fully traceable back to independently assessed farms.

RTA has six schemes that are approved by us:

• Beef & Lamb
• Crops & Sugar Beet
• Dairy
• Fresh produce
• Pigs
• Poultry

We operate to a Memorandum of Understanding with Red Tractor in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

England, Northern Ireland and Wales

PDF

View MOU for Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) as PDF(Open in a new window) (11.1 MB)

Northern Ireland Beef & Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIBL FQAS) operates to a Memorandum of Understanding with FSA Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland

PDF

View MOU for Livestock & Meat Commission Earned Recognition Aug 2016 as PDF(Open in a new window) (535.08 KB)

Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd, operates to a Memorandum of Understanding with FSA Wales 

Wales

PDF

View MOU for Welsh Lamb and Beef for Earned Recognition Dec 2017 as PDF(Open in a new window) (3.45 MB)

 

Enforcement Authority Verification

To ensure continued compliance and confidence after approval of an assurance scheme for earned recognition, we will continue to verify compliance with our criteria for earned recognition.

This includes a check carried out by enforcement authorities which is based on a percentage of assurance scheme members to verify business compliance. Positive verification will enable the FSA to have continued confidence in the assurance scheme and the ability to justify approved scheme status.

Enforcement Authority Exception Reporting

Feed sector only

When an enforcement authority becomes aware that a feed business will lose Earned Recognition, they are required to notify the FSA as soon as possible using the appropriate exception report form. This information is important in helping us carry out our verification role of approved assurance schemes.

England and Wales

Enforcement authorities will need to email the exception report, for England to exceptionreports@food.gov.uk and for Wales lasupportwales@food.gov.uk

England and Wales

WORD

View FSA for Feed Earned Recognition exception report for enforcing authorities as Word(Open in a new window) (58.5 KB)

Northern Ireland

Email the exception report in Annex 12 of the Feed Law Enforcement Guidance Document to executive.support@food.gov.uk

Privacy notice - exception reports