5
QS – Report 2012
Outlook 2013
Reliability requires a sense of reality
The economic operators in the QS scheme showed once again
in 2012 that they are more than capable of tackling new tasks
quickly and practicably. Within a very short space of time, they
prepared viable concepts in the form of unannounced audits and
antibiotics monitoring and pressed ahead with their practice-
orientated implementation. By revealing antibiotics use for more
than 90 percent of pig and poultry production businesses and
being audited in general without prior notification, they make
their work methods transparent and prove their reliability.
As an independent scheme of the industry, we support self
assessments. In doing so, we have to keep testing ourselves
critically and questioning the system we use. The latest
incidents involving aflatoxin in animal feed have shown that we
have to respond even more quickly and forcefully. The entire
chain has to be vigilant and ensure that no partners or methods
are admitted which can harm all of us in the scheme.
Everyone involved in the chain all the way through to the
consumer must be able to rely on the assured origin of all
products from all pre-suppliers, which means that verifiable
quality assurance has to become part of our daily lives. We
should critically review the extent to which special origin
labelling or even higher mandatory documentation requirements
are necessary. The objective cannot be to constantly control
everything and everyone by imposing even more inspections.
What we need are inspections in the right places at the right
time and to do so, we have to assess the risks accurately and act
accordingly.
Franz-Josef Möllers was appointed the first
special ambassador in the QS scheme in
April 2013. In his capacity as advisory board
chairman, Franz-Josef Möllers has made a
decisive contribution in the last ten years to
the advancement and further development of
the QS scheme. We have always been able to rely on his advice
and full support and we will continue to do so in future.
Dr. Hermann-Josef Nienhoff
Dr. Hermann-Josef Nienhoff
Managing Director
QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH