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INFO LETTER anniversary issue
fruit, vegetables and potatoes |
February 2014
Quality Assurance.
From farm to shop.
INFO LETTER
FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND POTATOES
Dear Readers,
Initiated at the
Fruit Logistica
ten years ago, the
QS quality scheme for fruit, vegetables and po-
tatoes quickly established itself in the market.
More than 29,000 participants are participating
in the meantime, including 13,000 producers
from 17 countries all over the world and 14,710
food retail branches. Products with the blue cer-
tification mark stand for independently inspect-
ed processes from the producer to the shop
counter.
We are using the occasion of the tenth anniver-
sary of the quality scheme to look back in this
info letter on what has been jointly achieved in
the last decade. We have summarised the mile-
stones for you in the middle section of this edi-
tion. These include the QS residue monitoring
and the expansion of international cooperation,
as well as the laboratory performance assess-
ment.
In the future too, QS quality assurance for fruit,
vegetables and potatoes will stand for clear
marking and labelling and a constant improve-
ment process.
We wish you lots of fun with your reading.
Your QS Team
Bonn, 05 Feb. 2014
Editorial
Active support for safe and high-quality
food right from the start: the QS quality
scheme for fruit, vegetables and potatoes is
celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
The official foundation stone for the quality
scheme was laid at the Fruit Logistica in Ber-
lin in 2004 (see photo).
Ever since it was founded, the QS scheme has
stood for controlled processes and the clear
marking and labelling of products with the
blue certification mark. A new association was
founded in 2004 to ensure the correct and prop-
10 YEARS OF QS FOR FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND POTATOES
INITIATIVE BY THE SECTOR FOR THE SECTOR
Press conference 2004
er organisation of quality assurance for fruit and
vegetables. Dr. Hans-Dieter Stallknecht (BOG),
Karl Schmitz (BVEO), Dr. Siegfried Scholz (ZVG),
Gerhard von Campenhausen and Werner Hilse
(both UNIKA) participated as shareholders in
the inaugural meeting of
QS Fachgesellschaft
Obst-Gemüse-Kartoffeln GmbH.
First scheme participants
The fruit wholesaler
“Vereinigte Großmärkte für
Obst + Gemüse Rheinhessen eG”
was among
the first scheme partners for fruit, vegetables
and potatoes to sign the scheme agreement.
The first coordinator was
“Qualitäts- und Pro-
duktionssicherung Nord-West GmbH”.
The
other founding partners were
“Centralmarkt
Roisdorf/Straelen GmbH”, “Erzeugergroßmarkt
Langförden-Oldenburg eG”, “Gartenbauzentrale
e.G.” (Papenburg), “Mitteldeutsche Zwiebelkon-
tor GmbH”
and
“REKA Rheinland”.
Vitamin Boost for the European Champions
The German national handball team won
the European Championship ten years ago
with the (old) QS certi-
fication mark on their
shirts! Sponsoring back
then was organised by
CMA who also ensured a
constant supply of fresh
fruit and vegetables – a
vitamin boost for the
European
champions,
inspected by QS. The
handball team went on to become World
Champions in 2007.
