QS information on the press conference of "foodwatch eV"

The "foodwatch eV" from Berlin reported on January 14.01.2004th, XNUMX at a press conference with a "report" on the QS scheme. The supposedly "detailed information" turns out to be incomplete compilation about the QS scheme. We regard the report as a one-sided, sometimes outdated view with tendentious value statements. At the same time, we are disappointed with this type of presentation. The expenditures and efforts of all system participants for increased food safety are not given due recognition.

QS stands for transparency and comprehensible consumer protection. Accordingly, we will carefully examine this "report" and deal with it in an objective and clear manner.

The sustainable success of the QS scheme is based, among other things, on the following basic elements:

QS Principle No. 1: Transparency

The QS system is characterized by a high degree of transparency for the consumer. All criteria, specifications and guidelines for QS participants and products, all participants in the QS system and the testing institutes are published on our homepage www.qs.info published on the internet. Every consumer can therefore form their own impression of the QS scheme and decide whether they want to trust the QS scheme and buy products with the QS certification mark. 

QS Principle #2: Very high standards

The specifications of QS go well beyond the legal standards. Three examples: QS has set up salmonella monitoring for pork, where there are no official specifications. For all QS participants, the use of antibiotic performance enhancers is prohibited both in fattening and in piglet production. The legislature only introduced such a ban in 2006. In meat processing, QS - in contrast to the legislator - has enforced a waiver of the processing of brain and spinal cord. With the requirement to only use feed according to the positive list, QS is also moving to a safer level than required by the state.

QS Principle No. 3: Three-level control system

The same applies to QS: Trust is good. control is better. There is therefore a sophisticated three-stage quality assurance system for the QS system. In addition to the internal internal controls, all those involved in the process are regularly checked by accredited testing institutes. Here, too, QS checks far more than the authorities require. For example, systematic controls on farms by the authorities have not been common up to now. Finally, the third stage is the control of the control - i.e. the monitoring of the work of the testing institutes and the entire QS system by neutral third parties. Of course, even the QS system cannot offer XNUMX% crisis prevention. But errors can be recognized early and "black sheep" can be identified. Overall, the bar for food safety can be raised.

Note editorial meat-n-more.info:

According to reports, QS sent a more detailed statement to foodwatch. We would have liked to present them to you in detail. It's still our turn to open this "paper" for you. Unfortunately, QS has so far kept a low profile on this. [Thomas Proeller]

Source: Bonn [ qs ]