As a part of the revision 2018, the QS guidelines were editorially and contentually revised as well as further adjusted to common practices and legal requirements. We have summarised the most important modifications from the revision 2017 below.
Two guidelines in the future: wholesale and logistics
For more transparency and clarity, the current guideline Wholesale/Logistics is being split into two separate guidelines – one for wholesale (incl. its own logistics) and one for purely logistics companies. As of 1 January 2018, regularly commissioned logistics companies, which assume transport contracts between QS scheme participants of wholesale and/or preparation/processing, must be approved in the QS database for the production scope of logistics, if QS goods are being carried. Until now, approval was obligatory, regardless of the transport of QS goods. The approval can still be obtained using a QS logistics or an IFS logistics certificate. Furthermore, the scope of the new Logistics Guideline is being expanded. In addition to transport and handling warehousing, long-term storage is added.
Online trading now included in the guideline Food Retail
The guideline Food Retail Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes is expanded to include a chapter on online trading – thus offering the traders quality assurance on the basis of participation in the QS scheme. With the continuing spread of online trade in fresh food, the need for uniform and high requirements regarding quality assurance thereof increases.
Guidelines QS-GAP and QS Production amended according to the Fertiliser Ordinance
The amended Fertiliser Ordinance (Düngeverordnung) entered into force on 2 June 2017. The chapter on Fertilisation
in the guidelines QS GAP and Production Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes have been amended in accordance with the new regulation. The upper limits for different classes of substances and other content have all been amended in line with the revised fertiliser regulation. The supporting documents – to assist in the implementation of the new fertiliser regulation – are also being adapted to correspond with its new content.
Detailed information on all changes contained in the 2018 revision can be found in the Revision Information under Documents at www.q-s.de.
