International agreements
QS knows no borders. In an attempt to achieve a uniform level of food safety at the European level as well, QS puts its faith in international cooperation and integration. The aim is to avoid double auditing of the economic participants and to enable the flow of goods between the various quality assurance systems. For this reason, QS has already come to agreements with various standards in neighbouring European countries. The following table gives you an overview of the most important information:
The foundation, for the agreements that have been concluded, is the requirements of the European Meat Alliance (EMA). EMA is a cooperation of the quality assurance systems from Belgium (Certus), Denmark (QSG), Holland (IKB) and Germany (QS) as well as the food retail trade (Metro Group, Tengelmann and others). The following section shows to what extent deliveries between these standards has already been made possible:
Holland
Producers of mixed and individual animal feeds certified according to the Dutch GMP B1 standard are also able to participate in the QS system on the basis of this certification. This requires registration on the QS software platform under https://www.qs-platform.info/. During the registration process, "PDV" must be selected as the certification system. Then these companies must conclude a system and sanction contract with QS. Companies that have completed both a QS and a GMP B1 audit are able to adapt their data accordingly on the software platform and thus also profit from the mutual audit recognition between QS and PDV.
At the same time, it is possible for QS system participants to use their QS audit as a basis to supply into the Dutch GMP+ system. As a result of the different audit frequencies in the systems, however, it is necessary for a QS system participant to have an annual QS audit implemented. The QS system participants authorised for the GMP+ system can be found at https://www.qs-platform.info/QSSoftware/start/do. Additional information regarding bilateral agreements for the animal feed sector can be found under Animal feed, mutual recognition.
At the moment, talks are ongoing between QS and Productshap Diervoeder (PDV) in an attempt to achieve mutual recognition at system level and thus to make a further important step towards harmonisation of European quality assurance systems.
At the agricultural level, certifications according to the Dutch IKB- and IKB 2004+ standards are recognised by QS. The Dutch agricultural companies are also linked via cooperations and thus no longer need to carry out an additional QS audit in order to qualify for deliveries into the QS system.
The Dutch slaughtering, deboning companies are able to directly register for participation on the QS software platform on the basis of a successfully implemented IKB audit. The certification system to select is, in this case, "Verin". These companies are thus, also fully incorporated contractually into the QS system.
All of the companies for animal feed, slaughtering/deboning, processing and for agriculture that are authorised to supply in accordance with the QS system can be found on the QS software platform under https://www.qs-platform.info/QSSoftware/start/do.
Belgium
Just like the Dutch standard owners, there is also a complete mutual audit recognition for the animal feed stage in place with the Belgian Ovocom/Bemefa. Thus, individual and mixed feed manufacturers outside Belgium that are certified in accordance with the Belgian GMP standard may become QS system participants without an additional QS audit. During registration on the QS software platform under https://www.qs-platform.info, these companies must select "Ovocom" as certification system before they subsequently conclude a system and sanction contract with QS. Here it is possible to subsequently adapt company data in order to, in future, only need to implement a single audit in accordance with the QS standard or the Belgian GMP standard.
QS system participants that wish to supply into the Belgian system on the basis of their QS audit are obliged to prove an annual QS audit in the same way as for deliveries into the Dutch GMP system. The QS system participants authorised for the Belgian GMP system can be found under https://www.qs-platform.info/QSSoftware/start/do.
Additional information regarding bilateral agreements for the animal feed sector can be found under Animal feed, mutual recognition.
At the slaughter and deboning stage, the Belgian quality assurance system Certus is recognised as being equal to QS. As a result, a QS system participant is able to acquire pork from the Belgian Certus system and subsequently market it as QS wares.
The basic prerequisite is that the supplier must be recognised by Certus. From the Certus system it is only possible to acquire meat that is equal in quality to QS, but not QS meat. As a result, only a QS system participant is able to market the Certus meat as QS meat and use the QS logo. Every delivery of Certus slaughtered halves must be accompanied by an Original Certus certificate. Every delivery of Certus parts must be accompanied by an Original Certus delivery note. Deliveries of piglets or pigs for slaughter from the Certus system into the QS system are not possible.
A list of the slaughter and deboning companies from the Certus system and authorised for the QS system can be found under "Slaughtering/Deboning/Suppliers/Receivers" on the QS homepage. When acquiring QS capable wares from the Certus system a check should always be performed to ensure that the Belgian supplier is listed as being authorised to supply on the QS homepage.
Denmark
The quality assurance of Danish pork products is carried out according to two standards, one for primary production, the DANISH product standard, and one for slaughter and deboning companies, the Global Red Meat Standard (GRMS). Both are based on the QSG manual (QSG=quality assurance guarantee).
This has been used by QS and Danske Slagterier as the foundation for enabling the agreement regarding deliveries from the QSG system from both the agricultural stage and the slaughter/deboning stage. Companies at the agricultural stage are certified within the Danish system according to the requirements of the product standard. Companies that have successfully completed this certification process are authorised to supply piglets and/or pigs for slaughter into the QS system. The check to see whether Danish companies are authorised to supply piglets and pigs for slaughter into the QS system must be carried out in the "Qualitätssicherung" section under www.danishmeat.de or directly under www.spf-sus.dk ("Gesundheitsstatus").
By entering the CHR number printed on the delivery note, it is possible to directly check the authorisation of a company to deliver into the QS system as well as the salmonella status of the agricultural company, All Danish slaughter and deboning companies certified successfully in accordance with the Global Red Meat Standard are also permitted to deliver into the QS system. These are listed under "Slaughtering/Deboning/Suppliers/Receivers" on the QS homepage.
Just like from the Certus system, a QS system participant is only able to acquire meat that is equal in quality to QS companies, but not QS meat. Thus, an identification of this meat with the QS logo is not possible. Only a QS system participant is able to label the meat as such and to market it as QS wares.
Austria
The Austria "Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing (AMA)" has concluded a mutual agreement with QS for the mixed animal feed sector. Thus, mixed animal feed manufacturers that meet the requirements of the Pastus+ animal feed directive are able to take part in the QS system without the need for an additional QS audit. Companies that wish to use this audit recognition need to register with the QS software platform under https://www.qs-platform.info and to select "AMA" as certification system before they can be included contractually in the QS system.
At the same time, QS mixed animal feed manufacturers that are able to prove an annual QS audit fulfil the requirements of the Pastus+ animal feed directive. Since AMA also concludes direct contracts with their system participants, QS participants that wish to use their QS audit to enable them to deliver into the Pastus+ system will need to register directly with AMA in order to obtain the appropriate supply authorisation. Additional information regarding bilateral agreements for the animal feed sector can be found under Animal feed, mutual audit recognition.
