Red Tractor start 2023 with another embarassment😂

[SilliamWhale]

they did fool me i thought it was just a chance to buy some time !!!! robbing bar stweards

Once you twig it, it's everywhere

 

[JP1]

Surely it's that @Kit Papworth fellow we need to be hounding.

Not been on since October

 

[onesiedale]

So it’s either a case of….


A) Unassured foreign apples being labelled at British and RT

B) British assured apples being mislabelled as foreign

Neither can be considered acceptable from a traceability perspective.

Imagine if RT found such a “mistake” with an on-farm inspection….

I guess it is only the same as retagging Irish cows with a UK tag
what would they say?

 

[Farma Parma]

RT is not dissimilar to Harry.
A total joke that unfortunately also does a lot of damage.

That Lad has really dug a very deep hole for himself now mind.

 

[Wesley]

If labelling is to mean something then it must be accurate. If it is not accurate then clearly it is meaningless.

Co-op are culpable and RT are also culpable unless you think they are not responsible by extension for their labelling and claims of rigourous standards. The co-op isn't selling the RT brand, the RT are the brand themselves (apparently so they claim) so they clearly have a problem with rigourous standards somewhere

Red Tractor market their traceability back to farms, it may even be the tip of an iceberg...

As much as I dislike what RT has become but unless they are for some reason allowing their logo to be used on foreign products then I don’t see they can be accused of doing anything wrong here…or do you feel they should check every shelf in every shop to make sure its not being incorrectly used? However they should be notified of whats happened. It’s their reaction to it that should be judged.

 

[Muddyroads]

NOBODY cares about RT other than RT!

^ Exactly this.
How many pubs and restaurants declare any of their food as being RT? How many local butchers display the RT logo? I was in Bookers wholesalers a while ago, how much meat do you think had the RT logo on it? None that I could see, and who owns Bookers? Tescos.

 

[SilliamWhale]

As much as I dislike what RT has become but unless they are for some reason allowing their logo to be used on foreign products then I don’t see they can be accused of doing anything wrong here…or do you feel they should check every shelf in every shop to make sure its not being incorrectly used? However they should be notified of whats happened. It’s their reaction to it that should be judged.

I
'm not making the claims on traceability, but they are and charging for it

 

[neilo]

I
'm not making the claims on traceability, but they are and charging for it

They are, but Co-Op and/or their suppliers likely fooked up here, either by mistake or deliberately.

 

[Wesley]

I
'm not making the claims on traceability, but they are and charging for it

So if I walked into a supermarket & put some RT stickers on New Zealand lamb then you’re saying RT is at fault because they can’t trace it? Its their reaction & how they deal with it that matters. Hopefully not just brush it under the carpet.

 

[Steevo]

I'm waiting for @Clive's reaction when he sees this....

 

[Bruce Almighty]

They are, but Co-Op and/or their suppliers likely fooked up here, either by mistake or deliberately.

I don't give a monkeys. RT are holier than thou, or at last they think they are.
If one of their farmers had made a mistake, they'd be hung drawn and quartered.

 

[milkloss]

So if I walked into a supermarket & put some RT stickers on New Zealand lamb then you’re saying RT is at fault because they can’t trace it? Its their reaction & how they deal with it that matters. Hopefully not just brush it under the carpet.

Well they didn’t say much at the time of the horse meat lasagne scandal because they were worried rt ‘beef’ might have been involved.

I don’t expect much to come of the coop lying to its customer either.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Is this labelling of German apples with the Red Tractor logo something BFU should address ???

Yes

 

[ploughman1963]

I know you guys like to have a rant about RT, but surely it’s Co-Op (or their supplier) at fault here, printing the Red Tractor logo on the packaging of a product that clearly isn’t?

I’m sorry if that doesn’t fit with the ‘campaign’ story.

You have a point but it does just show what a joke the whole system is if they can sell ‘ verification’ to a supermarket but it’s meaningless. We are paying for this farce!

 

[Tim G]

…or do you feel they should check every shelf in every shop to make sure its not being incorrectly used?

I wonder if we could make up some sort of scheme where an inspector would visit each supermarket to check these things. We could even make them pay to be members of it, because obviously there will be a mythical premium for their produce, and we could make it bloody difficult for them to trade if they aren't.....

 

[Hfd Cattle]

The big question here is ..How will RT react ?

....ahhhh they won't! ...

 

[SilliamWhale]

They are, but Co-Op and/or their suppliers likely fooked up here, either by mistake or deliberately.

How do you make mistakes on traceability? Either a product is traceable or it's not. If you can't match your claims then what's the brand for?

 

[Grass And Grain]

They are, but Co-Op and/or their suppliers likely fooked up here, either by mistake or deliberately.

I agree, Co-Op (or likely their supplier) either made an error, or did it knowingly. Can't really blame RT.

That said, it's also for RT to investigate.

Shows how easy it is for RT traceability to break down. Also shows how a 1/365 audit doesn't guarantee any of the RT claims. All it shows is things are OK on that day, and the inspection is retrospective.

What will RT do if they do a spot inspection next week. Will they say all processes are now in place, errors corrected, traceability working, therefore packer can keep RT status. Or will they say packer's traceability procedures failed, therefore can't have RT stickers.

So my bigger question is, can RT credibly claim traceable, only British, farmed with care etc when they only inspect 1/365. This example demonstrates they can't. Flip argument is it's an error/ labelling fraud.

Just thinking, If I buy in some non-assured lambs, then sell them as assured, is it a labelling error, or should I be closed down?

 

[Grass And Grain]

....so unless RT have constant monitoring systems, how can they confidently make the claims they do?

 

[SilliamWhale]

....so unless RT have constant monitoring systems, how can they confidently make the claims they do?

They can't. So they rely on the honesty and reputation of the people in the trade who supply them. Which is the way the marketplace functioned for years anyway.

The emporer has no clothes