NSF
Mission
NSF International is dedicated to being the leading global provider of public health and safety-based risk
management solutions while serving the interests of all stakeholders, namely the public, the business
community and government agencies. Our mission is carried out by over 2,100 global employees, including
microbiologists, toxicologists, chemists, engineers, and environmental and public health professionals.
Values
When it comes to our people and the way we work, we possess six core values. We demand the highest ethics and
integrity from our professionals. We operate using sound scientific principles. We respect and care for each
other. We promote personal and professional growth and foster innovation and creativity. We demonstrate
social and environmental responsibility. And finally, we are committed to winning and being the best.
Our Process
To develop uniform, consensus-based national standards, we bring together regulators, industry, consumers and
public health experts. Our scientists, engineers and public health professionals test to these standards or
protocols.
NSF audit is conducted upon West Country Milk annually. The core audit is fully instigated by West Country
Milk and is designed to check that our own systems and procedures ensure we are supporting the best
standards of Food Safety possible.
Supplementary audits are also conducted to meet the specific requirements that some of our customers have.
West Country Milk is proud to have attained a Gold Level of NSF certification for every year since we began
this process.
Download our latest NSF Certificate
Organic Farmers and Growers
OF&G certify more than half of UK organic land & provide support, information and licensing to Britain’s top
organic food businesses
First launched in 1973 as a marketing cooperative for organic produce, in 1992 we became the first body to be
approved by the government to carry out inspections and certify organic farmers and food producers
Since then we have spread our expertise into other areas, offering inspection and certification for
commercial composting, as well as a scheme for the product of anaerobic digestion, the Biofertiliser
Certification Scheme.
We now certify over 1300 farmers, who farm more than half of the UK’s organic land, as well as companies
ranging from small, independent processors to major multinationals.
Our role is to ensure that the European Organic standards are carried out on organic farms and businesses
across the UK, and to offer support and guidance for businesses who are making the switch to organic.
From our offices just outside Shrewsbury in Shropshire, we provide services to organic business across Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Download our latest Organic Farmers and Growers Certification here.
RED TRACTOR
Who Are We
Red Tractor was established in 2000 and has grown to become the UK’s biggest Farm and Food Standards scheme,
covering all of animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection.
We are a small, ‘not for profit’ company, run by the food industry to promote clearer labelling and ensure
food originates from a trustworthy source.
The way that our food is farmed and prepared is regularly checked by independent experts to make sure it is
of a good standard.
What does the Red Tractor mean?
The Red Tractor logo confirms that our independent assessors have checked food or drink meets our
comprehensive standards, from farms to fork.
Our standards cover the following:
1. TRACEABILITY
The flag in the Red Tractor logo tells you where the food has been farmed, processed and packed.
To follow this traceability trail, all users have to keep comprehensive records of their livestock and crops.
2. FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE
Food given to Red Tractor animals on the farm is safe for them to eat, so there is no risk of contamination
to the meat and milk produced
Red Tractor dairy farmers have to meet strict standards of hygiene; from the way they milk the cows to
how they store the milk for collection.
When it comes to your fruit and vegetables, our standards ensure that water used for irrigation and
washing is clean and that workers follow the best standards of hygiene, even when working in the fields.
3. ANIMAL WELFARE
We know it is important to you that farmers protect the health and welfare of animals. Our standards make
sure that our farmers are competent to look after animals, understand their needs and that the animal’s
health and welfare is regularly checked.
The Red Tractor logo means that animals have adequate space, and safe and comfortable housing or
shelter.
Just like you, our animals need a nutritious diet to stay healthy. Our standards require that all
animals have unlimited access to fresh, clean drinking water and are provided with well balanced meals.
All farmers who keep livestock must keep a written health plan and medicine records so that they can
monitor the health of their animals and prevent them from becoming unwell. It also helps the farmer to know
when he needs to call the vet.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Farmers under the Red Tractor scheme must use responsible farming methods to minimise pollution. This means
making sure that pesticide and fertilisers are stored safely and are applied correctly to the crop.
To protect the environment, crop farmers and fruit and veg growers have to minimise the impact their
farming practices have on wildlife, fauna and flora.
West Country Milk has been audited by Red Tractor to ensure that where we claim to supply a Red Tractor
Assured product this is in fact the case.
Download our latest Soil Association Organic Certification here.