PAI are the certifiers for the AIC Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC). This scheme was first introduced in 1997 and has since been regularly.

The TASCC scheme has been in place for over 10 years and aims to protect the food industry from contamination between the farm gate and delivery to the feed or food processor. The scheme covers haulage storage, testing and merchanting of combinable crops and/or animal feed and feed materials.

TASCC comprises 4 codes of practice (rules which anyone in the scheme has to abide by):

• Code of Practice for Road Haulage –transport of bulk combinable crops between farms, stores and food and animal feed producers
• Code of Practice for the Storage –storage of combinable crops in bins and in large flat stores.
• Code of Practice for the Merchanting – Buying and selling bulk combinable crops
• Code of Practice for Testing – testing of combinable crops to make sure they are safe.

Grain passport stickers are issued be the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) to certificated TASCC storage and Merchant businesses to put on the top right hand corner of the Grain Passport as evidence of their certification to the TASCC Scheme.

The Grain Passport is usually a single page pre printed document which the person who has stored the crop must fill out when a load is leaving their premises. The passport must included details of any treatment of the crop with Pesticides, the name and details of the storekeeper, a mycotoxin risk assessment and a Genetically Modified statement. The grain passport is given to the lorry driver who takes it to the point where he is to tip the load. The Grain Passport is a key document in traceability of grain and the sticker provides evidence of the assurance status of the grain from farm through storage via transport to the end user.

The transport element of the scheme is very important as it is the link through the movement of grain and other feed materials. A key feature of the haulage code of practice is the “Haulage Exclusion List” which as its name implies is a list of materials totally excluded from TASCC vehicles. Lorries which have carried any material on the list are excluded from operating within the scheme at any time.

New haulage applicants must be able to provide evidence of previous use of any second hand trailers they wish to operate in TASCC in order that Exclusion Listed materials have not previously been carried.

TASCC Feedback

At the close of all TASCC assessments, the participant is left with a feedback form that can be returned to AIC Services. The feedback form is designed to enable participants to pass their comments directly back to AIC Services. AIC Services have a policy of review and continuous improvement for the TASCC Codes of Practice and the results of the feedback are summarised on their website.

Email: Feed@thepaigroup.com