Pork industries worldwide have developed Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) schemes to encourage safe meat production & reassure consumers and public health authorities
 
Assured British Meat bacon pork pigmeat quality standard assurance scheme - Meat and Livestock Commission MLC UK

 

Pork & Bacon Pigmeat Quality Assurance (QA)
 
Schemes in United Kingdom

 
*New 2010 Guidelines for Pig Welfare in United Kingdom Red Tractor Quality Assurance (QA) Scheme: Welfare Downloads
 

 

*New Food Chain Rules to help 'Farm to Fork' Food Safety - UK Food Standards Agency: January 2010
 

 

*History of "Assured British Pigs" takeover of pigmeat QA in UK: 2001 Report
 
*"Post-Farm Gate" QA schemes in UK: Report
 
*Pig Welfare & Quality Assurance: MLC booklet: details
 
*UK Pigmeat QA Schemes Merge: Historical Report

Assured British Pigs (ABP) took on UK pigmeat QA in 2001

Assured British Meat (ABM) was the "umbrella" organisation overseeing pig and ruminant QA schemes, but now pigs and ruminants are to have independent schemes. The new ABP pig scheme takes responsibility for the pig sector. A similar "whole supply chain" scheme will take forward ruminant sector half of the ABM initiative.

The pigs sector ABP scheme inherits the achievements of ABM in amalgamating the original FAB Pigs and Malton QA shemes (see below).

Assured British Pigs operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but in Scotland, pig farm assurance is provided by SPII (Scottish Pig Industry Initiative) under the control of QMS (Quality Meat Scotland).

Although ABM is splitting into two independent scheme, there is also a desire for co-operation and liaison between all food and farm assurance schemes in all sectors. One reason for this is so that they can all use the British Farm Standard (BFS) Tractor logo (below) as a brand mark indicating quality assured UK produce. There are also industry needs to facilitate single inspections of farms that work in more than one type of food production. A new organisation, Assured Food Standards (AFS) has been formed for this purpose. It is an organisation that brings autonomous schemes together for common purposes. Within its framework are the schemes for red meat, poultry meat, dairy, crops and produce.

The British Farm Standard Red Tractor Quality Assurance Scheme QA logo launched by National Farmers Union NFU
The BFS tractor logo is allowed on Pork and pork products that can be traced through the assured chain. It is subject to licence approval. The logo can only be used on pork and pork products alongside the existing Pork Quality Standard Mark (top of page).

The Assured British Pigs scheme was operated by EFSIS Certification out of their Stourport office, under Scheme Manager Marcus Wood prior to BPEX taking over.

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"Post-Farm Gate" QA schemes in UK

Pigmeat sold with the Quality Standard Mark must not only be from assured pigs, but also hauled on assured vehicles and killed in assured abattoirs. Where further processing takes place, this must also be in assured premises.

There are three schemes providing assurance on the aspects of transport and processing:

  • The ABM Livestock Transport Scheme *
  • British Quality Assured Pork (BQAP) scheme for abattoirs & processors of fresh pork products*
  • BMMA Charter Bacon and Ham Scheme (for processors of cured pigmeat)
* The Assured British Pigs (ABM) and British Quality Assured Pork (BQAP) schemes are run from the EFSIS Stourport office (telephone: 01299-829000).

 

Meat and produce Quality Assurance schemes book information
 
Food & Red Meat Quality Assurance
 
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  Pork & Bacon Pigmeat Quality Assurance QA Schemes for Pigs & Swine 
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