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Key – Those standards which have greater significance (all other standards are normal)
Recommendation – Those which do not affect certification
New – A completely new standard which the member must now adhere to
Revised – A standard that has changed and requires the member to take some different or additional action to before
Upgraded – The standard has been upgraded to a Key standard or from a Recommendation to a full standard
Appendix – Referenced in ‘How you will be measured’. Indicates that additional information is provided in the Appendices, which are available at the end of each section.
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Where to find help – at the end of each section we have indicated where you can get extra guidance if you need it.
Aim:
TRACEABILITY & INTEGRITY MODULE
CP.TR.a
Standards
The site must have a fully operational and demonstrably effective traceability system, from supplier through to customer
How you will be measured
- Traceability system effective from the intake of livestock or raw material to the dispatch/ delivery of finished product
- All product in the plant can be traced:
- back to the supplier or a defined production batch
- forward to despatch and the customer
- forward or back one-step within 4 hours
- The system enables any finished product labelled with any claims (in particular Red Tractor) to be validated
CP.TR.a.1
Standards
The site traceability system and procedures must be documented from intake to dispatch
How you will be measured
- Documentation includes:
- a flow diagram or a written explanation of the traceability process for all species/ products, including identification of the record points
Flow diagram, traceability risks
CP.TR.b
Standards
A risk assessed schedule of testing the site’s traceability system must be documented and implemented
How you will be measured
- Tests:
- are undertaken at least monthly, in accordance with a documented schedule
- include mass balances (at least once a year) and traces forward to the customer and back to the supplier
- test all species/ types of product during the course of the year
- seek to verify that any claims made on the selected product, were done so correctly
- Results are recorded
Testing schedule, traceability test results
CP.TR.b.1
Standards
Testing of the traceability system must be undertaken by a suitable, competent person
How you will be measured
- Testing, which includes a mass balance, carried out by a person independent of the process (either somebody in house but independent of the activity or somebody external to the company), wherever possible
CP.TR.b.2
Standards
Where traceability system tests demonstrate failures or weaknesses, the root cause must be determined and corrective actions must be implemented
How you will be measured
- The root cause is determined and corrective actions put in place:
- corrective actions include increasing the testing frequency to weekly until there is evidence the issues have been rectified
- The issue, root cause and corrective action are recorded and reported to relevant senior management
Testing results
CP.TR.e
Standards
All products must be effectively labelled and in a manner that allows product to be traced, at all times
How you will be measured
- Product is labelled with:
- a number/ code which is unique to the day’s intake/ production per species. The code must link the product to its source
- the approval number of the abattoir/ cutting plant the product came from
- the date of slaughter/ cutting
- if product is to be sold as assured, it is labelled as assured
- Labels are applied directly to the product or sealed packaging
CP.TR.e.1
Standards
The outer packaging (pack or sealed container) of meat products must be labelled prior to its dispatch, to ensure it is traceable back to the site
How you will be measured
- Product is labelled with :
- the site’s identification mark (EC Code)
- pack contents e.g. chicken thighs
- pack weight
- slaughter/ batch code/ date, slaughter/ cutting date
- durability coding (for products intended for supply to the final consumer or to mass caterers, with or without pre-packaging)
- if product is to be sold as assured, it is labelled as assured
CP.TR.e.2
Standards
Where product is claimed to be assured, systems must be in place to verify the claim
How you will be measured
- If the product has been bought in from another site, the assurance certification status of the site has been verified
Copies of assurance certificates, confirmation from certification bodies
CP.TR.e.3
Standards
Where product is to be sold as assured, all key process and delivery paperwork must clearly identify the assured status of the product
How you will be measured
- Process paperwork includes despatch documentation
Process paperwork
CP.TR.f
Standards
To have systems in place to identify threats of fraudulent or adulterated food threats
How you will be measured
- Systems include contact or networks in place with:
- Trade Associations
- Industry Bodies
- Government
CP.TR.f.1
Standards
A programme must be in place for considering the risks of fraud and adulteration of all purchased products
How you will be measured
- Documented risk assessment in place for all purchased products
- Risks consider:
- risk of substitution with one species for another
- risk of substitution of one breed for another
- risk of substitution of one geographic origin for another
- risk of part substitution of meat with offal
- risk of condemned meat being supplied
- Evidence that risk assessment has been completed prior to engaging any new suppliers
- Evidence that risk assessments are reviewed to reflect any changes
Risk assessment
CP.TR.g
Standards
A supplier approval system must be in place that requires all purchased meat and poultry to be from an approved source
How you will be measured
- Evidence of an approval system which may be:
- recognition of a third party certification, or
- own site based audits
- Evidence that approval method has been informed by fraud/ authenticity risk assessments
Approval system
CP.TR.g.1
Standards
A supplier approval system must be in place that requires all non-meat and non-poultry product bought in to be from an approved source
How you will be measured
- Evidence of an approval system which may be:
- recognition of a third party certification, or
- own site based audits
- supplier questionnaire
- Evidence that approval method has been informed by fraud/ authenticity risk assessments
- Applies to non-meat and non-poultry products such as salt, pepper, sugars, etc.
CP.TR.g.2
Standards
Detailed Product Specifications must be in place with suppliers of all product purchased
How you will be measured
- Product Specifications include:
- chemical standards
- microbiological standards
- physical standards
- required origin / provenance
- assurance status – If Red Tractor product is required it must be stated in the product specification
- a requirement for all assured product to be labelled with its assurance status
Product specifications
CP.TR.g.3
Standards
A documented procedure for the receipt of bought in product must be in place detailing checks that must be carried out
How you will be measured
- Procedure sets out:
- visual checks that must be carried out
- provenance and labelling checks that must be carried out
- certification checks that must be carried out
- the certificates of analysis or certificates of conformance that should be received with each delivery
Documented procedure
CP.TR.g.4
Standards
A chemical and microbiological testing schedule must be in place that considers the quality/ safety risks of the bought in product
How you will be measured
- Products are tested at a frequency dependent on the risk to food safety and risk of fraud/ adulteration:
- testing frequency is documented in a schedule
- risk assessments are reviewed annually
- The site conducts its own testing, or where the risk assessment identifies it as appropriate, a supplier’s test results for relevant products can be used. Before the supplier’s test results are used, a thorough risk assessment is undertaken
- the risk assessment takes into consideration supplier approval audit findings, supplier previous performance, risks associated with the supplier’s production process, the nature of the product and the possible end use
- any evidence the risk posed by a supplier has increased, results in a complete review of the decision to use supplier’s test results by senior management. The reviews are documented
- Out of specification results are acted upon and evidence of the action taken is kept
Testing schedule, test results
CP.TR.g.5
Standards
Where an assured status has been specified on purchased products, there must be a programme of traceability challenges in place to establish the products are assured
How you will be measured
- Traceability tests go back to farm level to check assurance status
- The programme operated is risk based, across the supplier base. The risk assessment considers quantities and the supplier’s previous performance, along with the risks of:
- potential for loss of product identification
- products that are subject to seasonal change-overs
- products that are dual-sourced to meet demands
- products that are regularly promoted by retailers
- products of high commercial value
- products in limited supply
- products with a long or complex supply chain
- products identified at risk through market intelligence
- As a minimum at least quarterly trace challenges are undertaken, with each species checked at least once a year
- Any issues/ concerns are acted upon (including where applicable increasing the frequency of testing of a supplier) and evidence of the action taken is kept
Trace challenge results
CP.TR.g.6
Standards
Bought in product must be stored in a dedicated clean area which is suitable for the product material type
How you will be measured
- Products kept in the temperatures they require to protect quality and safety
- Area dedicated to bought in product