I’m delighted to share updates following our recent meeting, which focused on enhancing our sector’s operations and improving audit efficiency for Fresh Produce members.
First, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Jan Redpath, the Technical Director of Angus Soft Fruit, who will be joining our Sector Board as the representative for NFU Scotland. Jan brings a wealth of expertise that will undoubtedly be invaluable to our ongoing discussions and strategic efforts. In other board-related news, David Kennedy has announced his decision to step down as the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
We thank David for his service and have begun the process of recruiting a successor. David contributed great expertise in matters of food safety and microbiology and it will be a priority to ensure knowledge of these topics remain well-represented within the TAC.
Our meeting’s primary focus was the future of assurance and tackling the current challenges related to the audit burden on farms. One key suggestion was the enhanced use of our portal, where growers can upload relevant information ahead of farm visits. This would allow auditors to review documentation in advance and focus their time on farm observing the more practical aspects of the assessment.
Additionally, Board members discussed various options to streamline documentation and the assessment process within Producer Organizations (POs) and other coordinated grower groups where a central Quality Management System (QMS) or common technical controls are in place and specific opportunities were identified.
These ideas will be rigorously evaluated for their feasibility and potential implementation, and we look forward to further discussions at our next Sector Board meeting.
Kind regards,
Lucy MacLennan,
Chair, Red Tractor Fresh Produce board
Fresh Produce board:
Sarah Blanford – Retailer
Veryan Bliss – Technical Consultant
Tim Casey – Grower and NFU
Jan Redpath – Grower and NFUS
Damon Johnson – Retailer, BRC
David Kennedy – Technical Consultant
Kelly Shields – Fresh Produce Consortium
Stephen Shields – Grower
James Lee – Grower
Phil Pearson – Grower
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