Monitoring
The foundation of a functioning quality assurance system is the maintenance of the integrity of the system. In the QS system, this is ensured by a three-stage monitoring system.
How is testing carried out?
Three-stage monitoring system
Internal company monitoring and documentation
The first monitoring stage is internal company monitoring. Regular monitoring within the company, made on the basis of the guideline developed for the production, processing or marketing level, form the foundation of the QS system.
Neutral monitoring and laboratory analysis
Neutral monitoring by certification bodies authorised by QS form the second stage of monitoring. With the help of standardised check lists, these bodies check whether all of the QS criteria have been fulfilled. The certification bodies must be accredited in accordance with DIN EN 45011, the standard for product certification.
Within the framework of the QS internal monitoring programme, investigations and analyses are carried out on both animal feed and foodstuffs. For this purpose, only QS recognised and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories may be used. The systematic monitoring within the framework of this monitoring program is able to uncover problems and to implement measures to eliminate them. Thus, the QS animal feed monitoring programme serves to monitor QS animal feed to ensure that it meets the threshold and guideline values. The QS salmonella monitoring and reduction programme ztargets the reduction of salmonella entry risk in the pork and poultry meat production. In the fruit, vegetable and potato sector, the QS residue monitoring programme checks the maintenance of the maximum residue values or thresholds for pesticides etc. überprüft.
Meta checks
The third stage is the monitoring of certification bodies and laboratories with sample monitoring, traceability investigations, test report checks and the auditing of certification bodies. In addition, QS recognised laboratories must take part in ring examinations and laboratory competence tests in order to maintain their recognition status.
The Meta checks consolidate the integrity of the entire system and increase the trust in its reliability.
Detailed information can be found in the following documents.
