QS – Qualität und Sicherheit

Created in 2001 for meat and meat products, it was expanded in 2004 to include the scope Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes. Nowadays, nearly all of the biggest European retailers expect to be served by suppliers able to deliver QS, QS-GAP and/or GLOBALG.A.P. certified food.

QS certification promotes trade through mutual recognition of standards and inspections. In order to avoid double certification, QS wholesalers and QS agencies have also the option of obtaining a Chain of Custody certificate. For this purpose, the CoC add-on checklist, consisting of five specific CoC requirements, is carried out as part of the regular QS audit. The CoC by QS certificate has the same validity as an independent CoC certificate and can also be viewed in the GLOBALG.A.P. database.

The QS system provides a 3-level inspection system:

1. Self-assessment in accordance with QS requirements
2. Independent inspection by CUC Germany GmbH and analyses by QS recognised laboratories
3. Random sample audits by CUC Germany GmbH on behalf of QS

Nowadays, major retailers expect to see evidence of at least one certification system from suppliers.

The QS certification mark is the leading standard for food safety in Germany. Companies from abroad can participate in the QS scheme directly through QS certification or through recognition of other standards (GLOBALG.A.P., AMAG.A.P., IFS, Vegaplan and BRC). This contributes to an uniform level of food safety at European level. It supports internal quality management and end customers benefit from guaranteed quality assurance at every stage. The aim is to provide confidence for fresh food.

Control Union Certifications (CUC) Germany GmbH is accredited by DAkkS (German accreditation society) to carry out QS inspection and certification.