QS and FAMI-QS have agreed upon a mutual recognition of audits. The bilateral agreement between the two scheme owners will apply as of 15-08-2018 and include the production and trade of additives premixtures including certain feed materials formerly legally categorized as feed additives. The mutual recognition between QS and FAMI-QS results in a significant advantage for feed companies that are certified against one of the two standards. As of now they have the opportunity to deliver goods into both systems with one audit.
We are very pleased about our agreement as it creates a solution where everyone benefits, the holders of QS certificates as well as the holders of FAMI-QS certificates and consequently all their customers.
With the mutual recognition another important contribution to the harmonization of international flows of goods in the feed sector has been made. This has been possible after a thorough due diligence to ensure that both standards are comparable and ensure a best in class feed safety management system. Safe feed, safe food, everywhere, said Stephan Heck, President of FAMI-QS.
Claudia Brill, who coordinates the feed sector in the QS scheme, adds: As FAMI-QS-certified companies are now also shown as eligible for delivery in the QS database, the bilateral agreement also contributes to more transparency in the QS scheme. The daily work of QS scheme participants will be further facilitated as the individual request for certificates from FAMI-QS-certified suppliers is no longer necessary.
A detailed overview of the exact content of the mutual recognition between QS and FAMI-QS will soon be found in the Annex 10.1 Recognized Standards of the QS Guideline Feed Sector. Additional information will be found soon on the QS website under "QS Agreements".
FAMI-QS is a global Quality and Feed Safety Management System for the sector of Specialty Feed Ingredients. The code addresses safety, quality and regulatory compliance in order to minimize hazards and ensure the placing on the market of safe and legal Specialty Feed Ingredients. Around 1.300 manufacturers and distributors of specialty feed ingredients are worldwide certified according to the FAMI-QS standard.
The QS scheme is a cross stage quality scheme for fresh food. The standards defined by QS contain strict, verifiable production criteria for all stages of the supply chain - from farm to shop. More than 106,000 companies within the meat supply chain have so far decided to participate in the QS scheme, among them about 4,200 feed companies. Further 32,000 companies within the fruit and vegetable supply chain participate in the QS scheme.
