Pork processor: collaboration has reduced audits

Rob Nugent, operations director at Direct Table Foods (DTF), said the creation of a voluntary British Retail Consortium (BRC) audit meat module earlier this year had been an example of how the industry “can produce results”​, when working together.

The BRC Meat Supply Chain Assurance module was designed to reduce multiple audits (and, therefore, audit costs) by including requirements that historically warranted a separate audit.

In this exclusive interview with FoodManufacture.co.uk, Nugent conceded that “people moan about too many audits, but that’s the game we’re in”​.

‘Better way of doing things’​

However, he added: “We collaborated with other people in our industry and through our trade association, the British Meat Processors Association to try to come up with a better way of doing things.​

“​And that precipitated what was launched earlier this year – the BRC’s voluntary meat module. It was a collaborative piece of work between the big meat and meat processing companies, and pretty much all of the major retailers.”​

Based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, DTF specialises in cured, smoked and sliced bacon. The site also produces lardons, bacon joints, gammon joint and steaks, as well as a variety of premium cured natural gammons and decorated Christmas joints.

To read Nugent’s account of how Suffolk-based DTF has managed to increase productivity through investment – part of our Me and My Factory series of profiles – order your copy of the September issue of Food Manufacture​ magazine​.