Joining Red Tractor to drive fresh produce quality

4 September, 2025

Red Tractor (RT), the UK’s largest food and farm chain assurance scheme, has brought together a refreshed Fresh Produce Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and is focusing on high-risk produce. A new Working Group (WG) of the TAC has also been established and met for the first time in June. Its priority is developing additional elements to RT’s main fresh produce standard, addressing high-risk produce, e.g. salad leaf, based on requirements specified in CFA’s Microbiological Guidance for Produce Suppliers to Chilled Food Manufacturers (4th edition, MGG4). The aim is for usable guidance to be ready for the 2026 season under the […]

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Listeria – the truth around EU regulation changes

4 September, 2025

In July over 600 people attended Karin Goodburn’s webinar presentation ‘Listeria: The Inconvenient Truth’ at the Royal Society for Public Health. She dispelled myths and hype and provided clarity on the hardening of the regulatory penalty for RTE foods supporting growth of Listeria monocytogenes from next July (2026) in the EU and other jurisdictions applying EU law if shelf life data are not appropriate (criterion 1.2b in assimilated (EU) Reg 2073/2005). Her presentation set out how there is no change to shelf life assessment requirements that have been in place for RTE foods through the Regulation for nearly 20 years. […]

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Brexit: SPS Agreement Negotiations Soon?

4 September, 2025

CFA is keeping its members abreast of the latest developments in activity following up on the 19 May 2025 UK-EU High Level Summit’s announcement on forthcoming negotiation of an SPS Agreement between the UK and EU. Karin Goodburn chairs the SPS Certification WG, which meets weekly including with senior officials from various departments and agencies engaged in preparation for such negotiations and of further potential changes to infrastructure and systems. A summary of divergences in legislation requiring attention in the streamlining of trade has been shared with Government officials, the Lords EU Affairs and Commons EFRA Committees. The cost of […]

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