QS-Report-OGK-EN-1-2019+Einleger_web

QS-Report Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes | Issue April 2019 Our partners in food retail for fruit and vegetabes Food retail relies on QS More goods with QS certi cation mark in the market • Food retail relies on QS • Brocker Möhren GmbH & Co. KG • Revisions on pest control • QS Science Fund • New contact for scheme participants in Italy • News in brief Editorial Qualitätssicherung. Vom Erzeuger bis zur Ladentheke. Dear readers, QS is steadily improving internationally. In addition to Maribel Chiva Silvestre in Spain, Giulio Benvenuti in Italy has recently joined us as a local contact for our Italian scheme participants. We talked to Mr. Benvenuti about the new cooperation (p.4). This issue of the QS-Report also includes an insert with exciting facts and figures on scheme participants, audits and residue analyses for the year 2018. We hope you enjoy reading it Your QS-Team The share of fruits and vegetables with QS certification mark availa- ble in the German food retailing has significantly increased during the last months. Growing demand from leading retailers was the main factor contributing to this market development. The labelling of fresh fruit and vegetables with the QS certification mark demonstra- tes to the consumers the existing joint commitment of producers, suppliers and retail stores in terms of quality assurance, at the time that underlines the promise of quality. Aldi Süd takes part of the QS scheme for Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes since the end of last year. Previously, in autumn 2018, Lidl started to advertise QS goods from Germany actively in its storeswith theQScerti cationmark. “We are very pleased because - in addition to meat and meat products - now both retail compa- nies also offer QS certified fruit and vegetables and are auditing their retail stores according to the QS requirements,” , emphasises QS Managing Director Dr. Hermann- Josef Nienho . “The open and trans- parent communication of the measu- res and e orts of the entire supply chain is an important signal. With its participation in QS, the food retail companies demonstrate apprecia- tion for the producers’ and suppliers’ commitment to safe food. Moreover, the ‚view from outside‘, the neutral inspection of the stores by QS, promotes the internal optimisation processes of the retail companies“. Along with German QS certified products, the food retail also has fruit and vegetables from other European countries at its disposal. This is ensu- red by the almost 6,000 international scheme participants, who partici- pate in the QS scheme either via a direct QS certi cation or through the recognition of another standard (e.g. Vegaplan or GLOBALG.A.P.). To conti- nue increasing the product availability the framework conditions for the participation of scheme participants outside Germany are being further opti- mised. QS has now experts in Spain and Italy available as onsite contacts. RETAILER EXPERTISE IN THE QS ADVISORY BOARD Representatives of the production, fruit trade and wholesale, as well as food retailing sectors jointly define the thematic orientation of the QS scheme with their participation in the advisory board. In this way, the market representatives are also actively involved in shaping the QS scheme. The food retailing is currently represented in the advisory board by the companies Aldi, EDEKA, Lidl and REWE. The current member list is available at www.q-s.de/en/. Content QS-Report Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes 01/2019