1
INFO LETTER
Fruit, vegetables and potatoes
|
Issue: 01/2013
Quality Assurance.
From farm to shop.
QS status
The status achieved in the
audit based on ful lment
level is a benchmark for risk
orientation. There are three
classi cations, where Status I
is the best possible status with
a long interval until the next
regular inspection.
INFO LETTER
FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND POTATOES
Editorial
1
Regular Audits in 2012
1
Q&A on the Logistics Standard
2
Asparagus Season Around the Corner 2
The Rutta Family – QS-live Ambassadors 3
Ulrich Schopohl Re-Elected
3
Scheme Participant OGZ Rhein Main eG 4
Scheme Participants and Markets
4
News in Brief
4
Dear Readers,
QS scheme participants are a byword for con-
trolled product quality and safety. This is under-
lined by the evaluations of the 2012 audit re-
ports, and we will be reporting on the ndings
in this Info Letter.
The advisory board helps us to ensure that all
the requirements of the QS guidelines are prac-
ticable and correspond to the requirements of
the market and the industry. Chairman of this
body Ulrich Schopohl was re-elected in March.
Because it is not only the producers and trad-
ers who ensure safe food products but also the
companies who transport fruit, vegetables and
potatoes, QS has drawn up a separate standard
for logistics service providers. You can nd an-
swers to key questions on page 2.
In addition, this Info Letter also reports on
further news from the QS scheme. Happy
reading,
Your QS Team
Bonn, 9 April 2013
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
REGULAR AUDITS IN
QS SCHEME PARTICIPANTS A BYWORD FOR QUALITY AND SAFETY
PRODUCTION OF FRUIT, VEGETABLES QS GAP
PRODUCTION OF POTATOES QS GAP
98,3%
97,8%
4,325
2,172
Passed
Not passed
PRODUCTION OF FRUIT,VEGETABLES QS
PRODUCTION OF POTATOES QS
WHOLESALE
FOOD RETAIL
72,8%
73,4%
77,6%
82,9%
455
154
474
4,595
Total no. of
regular audits
Regular audits in 2012
Chain Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes
10,1% 16,5%
5,8%
4,0%
18,2%
15,2%
9,2% 2,1%
40%
20%
0%
60% 80% 100%
Status I
Status II
Status III
K.O./ No approval
—
1,7%
—
2,2%
—
0,7%
—
2,6%
—
3,2%
—
5,8%
The scheme participants in the supply chain
fruit, vegetables and potatoes meet the QS
criteria very well, and this is con rmed by
the evaluation of the almost 12,200 audit
reports entered into the QS database by the
auditors during the course of 2012. What is
pleasing is that the auditors gave fewer K.O.
assessments overall than in 2011.
Last year, auditors from independent certi ca-
tion bodies performed 12,175 regular audits in
all stages of the fruit, vegetables and potatoes
sector, almost 700 more inspections than in
2011 (
plus 6.0 percent).
QS-GAP widespread
QS-GAP audits (6,497) account for the lion’s
share of regular audits in the production stage,
with 597 audits being performed in line with the
“
QS Production” standard. 468 regular QS au-
dits were conducted in the wholesale stage and
around 4,600 in the food retail sector.
Fewer K.O. assessments
The scheme participants ensure safe food
products. Last year, the auditors gave a K.O. as-
sessment in only three percent of all company
audits – around 20 percent down on 2011. Tak-
en alone, the food retail stage showed an even
bigger improvement, with auditors giving around
40
percent fewer K.O. assessments than in 2011
(260
out of 4,595).
Auditors take a close look
Auditors objected to incoming inspections in
the food retail sector in 77 cases, and correc-
tive action was agreed with the shop managers.
This shows that quality assurance also involves
a constant improvement process, and QS sup-
ports its scheme participants in this endeav-
our. The guidelines and checklists provide a
well-structured and hands-on overview of the
provisions for their implementation in the busi-
nesses in question.