As part of our on going improvements to the farm and to
keep pace with an ever changing world we at Horlands Farm take consumer
confidence in food very seriously. To ease people's fears about
the way food is produced several assurance schemes have been created
nationally.
We at
Horlands Farm are part of three such schemes, which cover the livestock
and fruit we produce. As a member of the schemes we have regular
farm audits to check that the standards are being applied. We
believe these schemes are a must in order to keep England's historic good name for
producing amongst the best and safest food in the world.
.
Horlands Farm are currently members of:
FABBL
The FABBL (Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb) Farm Assurance Scheme was set up in 1992 to give retailers and consumers confidence in British livestock production standards. The Beef and Lamb Standards currently cover identification and traceability, farm animal management, environment & hygiene management, feed composition, housing and handling facilities, medicines and veterinary treatments and transport of livestock.
FABBL No: 24440BL
APS
APS
is an industry wide initiative that addresses all the important issues
concerning the production of 'produce' - fruit, salads
and vegetables. The scheme has been awarded UKAS accreditation, the
international yardstick of quality assurance that gives it global
credibility.
APS promotes safe and environmentally responsible production of fruit,
salads and vegetables through the use of integrated crop management (ICM).
This is a philosophy that recognises the need for crop production to be
both economically and environmentally sustainable.
APS is designed to maintain consumers' confidence in the safety and
integrity of the produce they eat. Growers must follow
the best production advice contained in the crop specific protocols
that form the basis of the scheme. It is an independently assessed
assurance scheme.
APS Member Number: 4935
Natures Choice
Tesco's Assurance Scheme
Nature's Choice is an integrated farm management scheme and is unique to Tesco. Introduced in 1992, it sets environmental standards and specifies shape, size, taste, variety and shelf life requirements.
Nature's Choice environmental standards
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Rational use of plant protection products, fertilisers and manures
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Pollution prevention
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Protection of human health
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Use of energy, water and other natural resources
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Recycling and re-use of material
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Wildlife and landscape conservation and enhancement.
Farms must have a plan for managing the environment, detailing action to protect and encourage wildlife diversity, including planting hedgerows and creating wildlife corridors. Pollution control and energy use are also important parts of the scheme, with specific controls on discharges to local watercourses, and energy use reviews by independent third parties. The Nature's Choice scheme is governed by a committee made up of suppliers, an independent academic, an auditor and Tesco managers.
Red Tractor
Assured Food Standards
The Red Tractor indicates that food is produced to independently inspected standards right across the food chain, from the farm on which it is produced until it goes into the pack. It provides shoppers with cast-iron assurance that those standards have been upheld every step of the way.
To meet their customers' expectations, food shops and food manufacturers must have complete confidence in the food they sell. Much of that trust comes from knowing where raw ingredients come from and the standards to which they're produced.
So by insisting their suppliers are independently inspected, shops and manufacturers can gain confidence and pass this straight on to consumers.