Technical updates:
What you need to know

- Antibiotic Stewardship

- VMR regulations

- Chlorate Residues and Legislation

- Improving your animal health plan

Keeping up to date with Veterinary Medicine Regulations (VMR)

Recent legislative changes to the UK’s veterinary medicine practices apply to all veterinary medicines prescribed to all animals. The agriculture sector must respond to these changes.

Aimed at combatting antimicrobial resistance, key updates include stricter rules on the prophylactic (preventative) use of antibiotics, including for dry cow therapy, prohibiting their use apart from in exceptional cases as determined by the vet. There are also enhanced record-keeping requirements for vets prescribing medication, intended to promote transparency and evidence-based practices. Additionally, new protocols have been introduced for online dispensaries, written prescriptions, and withdrawal periods for medicines used in food-producing animals.

This update to the VMR represents the biggest change to our legislation on veterinary medicines since 2013 and supports our stakeholders by removing unnecessary burden, whilst ensuring we have the oversight we need to protect our animals, our public health and our environment.

As a result, we've made a few minor adjustments to the animal medicines standards in our livestock Schemes. These changes, effective from 1 February 2025 align with the revised Regulations that came into effect in May 2024 and help demonstrate the industry’s commitment to responsible antibiotic use.

While your on-farm actions/practices may not need adjustment, the new rules could affect how medicines are prescribed. So, staying informed to stay compliant is important.

What this means for you:

Assessors will now check that prescriptions for medicated feed include essential details such as the ID of the animals being treated, the amount of feed prescribed, and the diagnosed condition being treated or prevented. They will also confirm that the medicated feed has been used exactly as outlined in the prescription.
The use of antibiotics for prophylaxis (preventing disease) will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, in line with the new legislation. Exceptional circumstances mean cases where the risk of infection is very high and the potential consequences of not using the antibiotics could be severe.
Assessors will check for the vet’s documented rationale for any antibiotics prescribed for prophylactic use. This documentation could take various forms, such as:
an email or note from your vet
details included on a written prescription or purchase record
information stored in the vet's clinical notes (with a summary provided to you ahead of your audit)
inclusion in your farm’s health plan or management review (for group prophylaxis).
If antibiotics are prescribed for group disease prevention, the assessor will ask to see a vet's management review. This must identify farm-specific disease risks and outline controls like vaccination, biosecurity, hygiene, nutrition, or husbandry to reduce future antibiotic use.

Reminder:

All updates to standards and guidance are developed in close collaboration with a wide range of partners, including scientific and veterinary experts. Red Tractor will work with assessors to ensure consistent application of the updated standards during assessments across all sectors.

This partnership approach ensures the standards reflect both practical on-farm realities, best practices in animal health and welfare management and changing legislation.

Click here to see in more detail the standards changing in February 2025

Proactive measures for antibiotic stewardship in dairy standards

Maintaining high standards of antibiotic stewardship is critical for dairy farmers and integral to sustaining Red Tractor membership and safeguarding milk quality.

To support members in achieving this, from February 2025 our standards will stipulate that medicine training must be refreshed every five years, ensuring farmers and their staff, stay informed about the latest practices in responsible medicine use. At least one person on the unit must have undergone training in the last five years – either a refresher course to follow a course taken previously, or a full course approved by Red Tractor if it’s the person’s first training in this area.

We will also require specific reference to dry cow therapy in both the Health Plan and the Health and Performance Review. This is to ensure that dry cow therapy is a regular discussion between farmers and vets, helping to keep strategies for managing dry periods robust while supporting antibiotic stewardship.

Furthermore, from this date if a member experiences two antibiotic residue failures within a rolling 12-month period, in conjunction with the farm vet they will be required to complete either the BCVA or Dairy UK investigation form. This activity will help to identify the underlying causes and will enable the development of targeted actions to prevent future occurrences.

It's important to reaffirm to you that any updates to standards and guidance are always developed in close collaboration with a wide range of partners, including scientific and veterinary experts.

And, that Red Tractor will be working with assessors, conducting training and feedback sessions to ensure the updated standards are applied consistently during assessments across all sectors.

This partnership approach ensures the standards reflect both practical on-farm realities, best practices in animal health and welfare management and changing legislation.

Chlorate residues and legislation

A chlorate maximum residue limit (MRL) for liquid milk has been in force since June 2020, established under EU legislation and retained in the UK post-Brexit.

The MRL for liquid milk (raw or pasteurised) is set at 0.1mg/kg, with stricter limits of 0.01mg/kg for foods intended for infants and young children. Compliance with these limits is overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Why is this important?

Chlorate residues can arise from the use of chlorine-based disinfectants during the cleaning of parlour and processing systems. Minimising residues is crucial to safeguard human health, particularly for vulnerable groups like infants, where residues can concentrate in powdered milk products.

With growing scrutiny on chlorine-based disinfectants, reducing chlorate residues is essential to maintaining consumer trust and compliance with regulatory standards.

What can you do on the farm?

Red Tractor sets clear standards to help you reduce chlorate residues:

Cleaning requirements

Bulk milk tanks must be cleaned after every collection and rinsed thoroughly with clean, potable (drinking-quality) water to eliminate chemical residues.
Detailed plant cleaning protocols must be in place and followed consistently.
Disinfecting tanks with hypochlorite as a final rinse is not acceptable under Red Tractor standards or industry recommendations.

Practical advice from AHDB Dairy

Avoid Hypochlorite in Final Rinse: Do not use hypochlorite-based disinfectants in the final rinse of parlours and bulk milk tanks.
Ensure Thorough Rinsing: After disinfection, rinse all milk-contact surfaces with clean potable water, ideally from the mains supply.

Ensuring best practices with industry support

The Milking Equipment Association (MEA) provides resources and training to promote high-quality milk production. By working with Milking Systems Technician Accreditation (MSTA)-certified professionals, you can ensure:

Proper calibration of cleaning systems and chemical dosing rates.
Cleaning protocols are tailored and adjusted to match the products and system setups in use.

Visit the MEA website for additional support

By following Red Tractor standards and industry guidance, you can maintain compliance, protect human health, and produce high-quality milk that consumers trust.

Making your animal health plan work for you

An effective animal health plan is a powerful tool for improving animal health, welfare, and farm productivity.

Rather than being a "tick-box" exercise, a well-crafted health plan is tailored to your farm's specific needs and offers actionable insights for ongoing improvement. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with your vet to address challenges, set goals, and enhance overall farm efficiency.

For many farms with livestock, regular contact with the vet often means ongoing conversations about herd/flock health. However, the annual health plan review is a dedicated opportunity to discuss health, welfare, and productivity with your vet. This makes it more important to ensure your health plan reflects your farm’s unique circumstances and serves as a meaningful management tool.

By reviewing the past year’s data, you and your vet can identify areas where losses occurred, pinpoint their causes, and develop practical, cost-effective solutions that fit your operation. Having records readily available makes this process smoother and also ensures the health plan remains valuable throughout the year.

Why a Strong Health Plan Matters:

Proactive Welfare Assurance: It demonstrates your commitment to animal welfare and shows you’re fulfilling your responsibilities.
Consumer Trust: End consumers expect farms to have robust welfare practices—your health plan is part of delivering that confidence.
Economic Benefit: Better disease control and prevention mean healthier animals, improved productivity, and greater profitability.

Don’t overlook the importance of proper documentation - one of the most common non-conformances in the Beef and Lamb sector is health plans and performance reviews not being signed by a vet, accounting for 17% of reported non-conformances each year.

With a farm-specific, actionable health plan, you’re not just meeting standards—you’re setting your operation up for better welfare, productivity, and profitability.