The monitoring system: The core element of our work

The foundation of a functioning quality assurance system is the maintenance of the integrity of the system. In the QS scheme, this is ensured by a three-stage inspection system: Internal company monitoring and the independent monitoring by certification bodies ensure the maintenance of the requirements within the companies. The work of the certification bodies is monitored in a third monitoring stage, the monitoring of the monitors.

Requirements that have a critical influence on the food safety, animal welfare or integrity of the QS scheme are defined as no-approval criteria. Not maintaining one of these criteria can lead to the loss of the supply authorization into the QS scheme and to sanctioning of the company.

All requirements of the scheme are evaluated in the audit according to the level of fulfilment. Here, a minimum number of points must be achieved in order for the company to participate in the QS scheme. The overall results are used to categorize the company into a status which then determines the time period that may pass before the next audit must be carried out. The worse a company performs, the shorter the time period until the next audit.

More about the three-stage monitoring system.