Red Tractor logo boosted by extra £1bn support

The Red Tractor logo, the mark that represents quality British produce on a wide range of foods, now appears on foods with an annual retail value of £6.4bn – an increase of over £1bn in past year.

In the past year, fifty new businesses have joined the Red Tractor scheme in addition to a significant growth in the number of own-label lines carrying the logo.

There are approximately 375 companies licensed to pack Red Tractor assured food.

They are supplied by about 78,000 Red Tractor farmers and growers in the UK, accounting for between 66% and 95% of output in the main commodity sectors.

Recent announcements of new products featuring the Red Tractor include Nestle, Shredded Wheat, McCain Chips and Quality British Turkey while Country Life butter and milk continues to use Red Tractor to support new products and promotional activity.

Assured Food Standards has invested in a consumer push to raise the profile of the Red Tractor logo and what it stands for with the UK consumer. The launch of a Media Information Service and a new myredtractor consumer website aimed at parents and children is helping to inform and educate consumers about the Red Tractor and its values.

“The Union flag means they can be absolutely sure the food is UK farmed”

Red Tractor Week, which ran in July, succeeded in reaching three out of five UK mothers and generated the support of major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Budgens who ran a range of in-store promotions during the week.

This included pack stickers, point of sale and recipe demonstrations with Red Tractor Week ambassador, celebrity chef James Tanner.

Chairman of Assured Food Standards – the independent organisation set up to manage the Red Tractor food assurance scheme – Colin Smith said. “The independent endorsement that Red Tractor provides is key for the companies that license with us.

“It gives the consumer complete confidence about the strict standards of production upheld by Red Tractor and the inclusion of the Union flag means they can be absolutely sure the food is UK farmed. This assurance about origin comes from strict licensing rules and regular trace back checks.”