Introduction About the Charter

The BMPA Quality Pork Charter is owned and managed by the BMPA through its Pigmeat Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC). This committee consists of representation from existing charter participants and other BMPA stakeholders who have the relevant technical knowledge and processing experience to offer guidance in the technical content and ongoing development of the charter. 

The charter provides the pork supply chain with integrity and quality assurance for pork products. Approval and product certification against the individual pork modules and gives assurance to retailers and consumers about the pig welfare, biosecurity, food safety, integrity, provenance and traceability of the pork products they manufacture. The BMPA Quality Pork Charter requirements are above current legislation and are indicative of best commercial practice in line with the recommendations made in the ‘Elliot Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks’. 

The requirements are periodically updated to ensure that the charter remains current and relevant by providing food manufacturers, retailers and most importantly consumers with quality assured pork and pork meat products. 

The routes for participation in the BMPA Quality Pork Charter are outlined below: 

Charter participants undergo announced and unannouced surveillance audits carried out by BMPA approved service providers who are required to have accreditation to the international standard for bodies certifying products, processes and services (ISO17065) assessed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). UKAS provide an assurance of the competence, impartiality and integrity of conformity assessment bodies.

The BMPA Quality Pork Charter underpins the Red Tractor Standards for pork and pork meat products therefore, members who are also Red Tractor License holders may use the following logos on retail packs:

The ‘Made with Red Tractor Assured Pork’ logo: this logo has been discontinued. Where this logo was used, the logo of the characterising ingredient may now be used, where the Red Tractor certified ingredient(s) makes up 94% or less of the finished product (subject to the terms and conditions outlined on the Red Tractor Assurance website).

The Red Tractor logos have been updated from March 2020, and there is an 18-month implementation period from this date to allow for artwork changeover.

Red Tractor logos incorporating the British flag shall only be applied to pork of United Kingdom origin (i.e. pork derived from assured pigs that are born, reared and slaughtered in the United Kingdom). In any other circumstances, contact Red Tractor Assurance for guidance. 

Members of the BMPA pork scheme who wish to display the Red Tractor logo and/or make a Red Tractor claim on their products are required to apply for a license from Red Tractor Assurance. For more information on the use of Red Tractor logos visit Red Tractor, or contact the licensing team at: licensing@redtractor.org.uk. 

The copyright of the charter is held by the BMPA and no unauthorised copying or alteration is permitted. Any queries relating to the charter should be directed to:

BMPA Technical Policy Manager
17 Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0DP
Tel: 020 7329 0776
Email: info@britishmeatindustry.org