Press releases

QS random sample audits along the entire supply chain

Additional controls ensure scheme stability

In the coming months, more and more additional random sample audits will be taking place throughout the entire QS scheme. The randomly selected companies will be audited without advance notice and will face sanctions in the event of noncompliance with requirements.

Laboratory Performance Assessments in the QS Scheme

Execution quality of laboratories put to the test

The QS Laboratory Competence Assessment enables laboratories to identify problems and error sources and thus continuously improve the quality of their analyses, explains Dr. Gustav Offenbächer, assessor for residue analysis and quality control. The tests are specifically structured in such a way that weak points can be revealed and rectified. Evidence of this has been provided once again by the result of this year’s spring test in which, although 71% of the recognised laboratories passed, only a good third of them were completely error-free. QS-recognised laboratories did considerably better here than labs undergoing the recognition process (see Fig. 1).

Monitoring Report Fruit & Vegetables 2017 underlines strong sense of responsibility among producers

QS and DFHV present updated residue monitoring findings at the Fruit Logistica

The new issue of the Monitoring Report Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes underlines once again the quality of the operations of producers in the QS scheme and of the suppliers to the member companies of the German Fruit Trade Association (DFHV). The residue levels of plant protection products were below the legal limit values in 97 percent of all tested samples. 36.6 percent of samples contained no residues of plant protection products at all – an impressive figure. At the same time, the Monitoring Report also identified potential for improvement in third countries.

DFHV and QS Publish Monitoringreport 2016

More than 26,000 samples analysed, producers’ good professional practice pays off

The consistent implementation of the provisions on the use of plant protection products and good professional practice on the part of the producers is paying off: Nearly 98 percent of all samples examined for pesticide residues were below the legal maximum limits. Over 43% of all fruit and vegetable samples analyzed showed no residues of plant protection products of any kind. As about 38 percent of the samples were completely residue-free the previous year, this means a further improvement of five percentage points. This result was arrived at by the jointly conducted evaluations of the monitoring programmes of QS Fachgesellschaft Obst-Gemüse-Kartoffeln GmbH (QS) and the German Fruit Trade Association (DFHV). The most important analysis results are summarised in the Monitoring Report 2016, which will be published in time for the Fruit Logistica trade fair in Berlin.

QS Laboratory Performance Assessment

Focus again on metabolite analysis – improvement measures showing effects

The pleasing result of the latest laboratory performance assessment is that 93 percent of the labs approved by QS satisfy the demands placed on them, thus raising the already high level of the last assessment even higher. The main focus of the autumn assessment was again me-tabolite analysis. The results confirm that the deficits of past years have been permanently rectified in this area.

QS feed monitoring-report proves neat work

2 Mio. analysis data evaluated

Economic operators in the QS-scheme put quality assurance measures in the feed sector consistently into action. This is shown by the current overall evalu-ation of feed samples and individual analyses. The second issue of the feed monitoring-report released by QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH provides a detailed insight into the QS-feed monitoring. 2 Mio. Analysis data provide the basis for the report.

Laboratories confirm high level of efficiency in QS laboratory performance assessment

Consistent testing has real impact: laboratories now have a better command over metabolite analytics

The good results in the current laboratory performance assessement substantiate the rapid implementation of improvement measures. After the last test in 2014 the complexity of metabolite analytics posed considerable difficulties for the participating laboratories, 85 percent of the laboratories now meet the expected requirements.

Monitoringreport 2015

Consistent quality assurance with fruit and vegetables is bearing fruit: 99 percent of all samples examined for pesticide residues were below the legal maximum limits. This is substantiated by the jointly conducted evaluations of the monitoring programmes of QS Fachgesellschaft Obst-Gemüse-Kartoffeln GmbH (QS) and the German Fruit Trade Association (DFHV). The analysis results are summarised in the Monitoringreport 2015 which will be published in the course of the Fruit Logistica fair.

Feed Monitoring Report published

Good Marks for QS Scheme Participants’ Self-Assessments. A total evaluation of more than 122,000 feed samples and a good 1.6 million individual analyses is contained in the latest Feed Monitoring Report published by QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH. Fewer than 0.5 percent violations of the limit in the past seven years testify to the consistent quality assurance of the economic operators in the QS scheme.

Sample audits in the QS sample:

Businesses have to expect inspections every day.

QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH is currently conducting more than 300 unannounced random sample audits on the premises of scheme participants in Germany and abroad. The businesses to be inspected are selected at random, so that every QS scheme participant has to expect to be subjected to additional, unscheduled auditing.