Selling own-brand from Ireland: standards stack for Irish retail and UK exports
Irish food suppliers operate in a dual market: domestic Irish retail (Tesco Ireland, Dunnes, SuperValu, Lidl, Aldi) and large UK export volumes into Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, Aldi UK and Lidl UK.
In Short
- Layer 1 is Bord Bia farm assurance: SBLAS (Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme) for beef and lamb; SDAS (Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme) for dairy; the…
- Origin Green is the world's only national sustainability programme operating at scale across farms and food processors.
- SBLAS is the world's largest sustainability-linked beef and lamb scheme by volume and the foundation of Irish beef and lamb exports.
The stack combines Bord Bia farm-assurance schemes — SBLAS (Sustainable Beef and Lamb), SDAS (Sustainable Dairy), Sustainable Pig — under the Origin Green sustainability programme, layered with BRCGS at the processor level, and then capped by Irish and UK retailer codes. UK retailer programmes (TFMS, M&S Code of Practice, Waitrose Quality Standards) apply to Irish suppliers exporting own-brand to GB.
The Irish stack — Origin Green, Bord Bia schemes, BRCGS, retailer codes
Layer 1 is Bord Bia farm assurance: SBLAS (Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme) for beef and lamb; SDAS (Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme) for dairy; the Sustainable Pig Assurance Scheme; the Sustainable Poultry Assurance Scheme; the Sustainable Egg Assurance Scheme; the Sustainable Horticulture and Forestry programme. Bord Bia's Origin Green is the umbrella sustainability programme that wraps these schemes with carbon, water, biodiversity and social commitments at the processor level.
More on the Irish stack — Origin Green, Bord Bia schemes, BRCGS, retailer codes
Layer 2 is BRCGS Food Safety (dominant in Irish processing because of the UK export focus) — IFS and FSSC also accepted. Layer 3 is the retailer code: Tesco Ireland and UK programmes (TFMS), Dunnes Stores own-brand standards, SuperValu (Musgrave) supplier code, Lidl and Aldi Ireland supplier manuals.
Bord Bia Origin Green — the Irish sustainability umbrella
Origin Green is the world's only national sustainability programme operating at scale across farms and food processors. Farm-level participation runs through SBLAS, SDAS and the other Bord Bia schemes, each with carbon-assessment and biodiversity data captured via the Carbon Navigator and Bord Bia Sustainability Survey.
More on bord Bia Origin Green — the Irish sustainability umbrella
Processor-level membership requires a Sustainability Plan with measurable targets, third-party verified annually. For an own-brand supplier, Origin Green is the Irish credibility signal in retailer conversations and a structural advantage in UK and EU export markets where sustainability claims are increasingly listing-critical.
SBLAS, SDAS and the rest — Bord Bia farm chain
SBLAS is the world's largest sustainability-linked beef and lamb scheme by volume and the foundation of Irish beef and lamb exports. SDAS covers Irish dairy with welfare, environmental and traceability requirements that exceed EU baseline.
More on sBLAS, SDAS and the rest — Bord Bia farm chain
The Sustainable Pig and Poultry schemes carry equivalent expectations for those species. The schemes are audited on 18-month cycles by Bord Bia-approved certification bodies, and the chain certificate is the entry condition for most processor and retailer programmes.
Tesco Ireland, Dunnes, SuperValu, Lidl and Aldi Ireland
Tesco Ireland operates the Tesco group programme (TFMS, TQMS, complaint dashboards) adapted for Irish own-brand. Dunnes Stores runs its own quality programme with strong Irish-origin emphasis.
More on tesco Ireland, Dunnes, SuperValu, Lidl and Aldi Ireland
SuperValu (Musgrave) runs a cooperative supplier programme with the 'Real Food, Real People' Irish-origin positioning. Lidl and Aldi Ireland operate the group discounter programmes described in the DACH guide, with Irish-origin and Origin Green emphasis adapted in. For Irish suppliers exporting to UK retailers, the UK programmes (TFMS, M&S Code of Practice, Waitrose Quality Standards, Sainsbury's SSA) apply directly — see the UK guide.
Practical readiness — Irish supply and UK export
Build BRCGS at the highest grade you can sustain (because most Irish own-brand processors export to the UK and BRCGS is the UK retail default). Join Origin Green at processor level early — it's a free Bord Bia programme but the Sustainability Plan and annual verification take real work.
More on practical readiness — Irish supply and UK export
Layer the right Bord Bia farm scheme (SBLAS, SDAS, Pig, Poultry) for your category. Treat UK retailer programmes (TFMS, M&S Code of Practice) as parallel listings to manage, not a one-off — UK technical visits to Irish suppliers are routine.
Questions
Is Origin Green mandatory?
Not legally, but it is the de-facto baseline for Irish own-brand supply and a significant credibility signal in UK and EU export markets. Most major Irish processors and most Bord Bia scheme members are also Origin Green members.
What is the relationship between SBLAS and Red Tractor?
Different schemes governed by different bodies. SBLAS is the Bord Bia Irish beef and lamb scheme; Red Tractor is the British farm-assurance scheme. They are not mutually recognised — Irish suppliers exporting beef or lamb to UK retailers usually need both, depending on the retailer's accepted scheme list.
Do UK retailer programmes apply to Irish suppliers?
Yes if you are exporting own-brand into the UK chain. TFMS (Tesco), the M&S Code of Practice, Waitrose Quality Standards, Sainsbury's SSA and Asda's Supplier Code apply to the goods regardless of supplier origin. UK technical visits to Irish processors are routine.
How does Brexit affect the stack?
It adds export documentation (health certificates, EHCs, customs declarations) and creates checks at GB ports for many categories, but it has not changed the standards required by UK retailers. The retailer programmes are unchanged; the border paperwork is new and listing-critical to get right.
Practical orientation, not legal advice. Rules differ by jurisdiction; your quality and compliance team decides what applies.
The Food Processing Operations Guide
Safe changeovers. Right labels. Every lot traceable.
- The rules and the plan
- Supplier to filled tray
- Allergen changeovers and pack checks
- Trace, recall and record review
Plus Evidence map and four worksheets.
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The Food Processing Operations Guide
Safe changeovers. Right labels. Every lot traceable.
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