This year's random sample audits for the value chains fruit, vegetables, potatoes as well as meat and meat products started at the beginning of this week. As in previous years, the implementation period will range from July to December. New this year is that for the first time all random sample audits will be carried out completely unannounced, i.e. the locations will be audited without prior contact with the company manager, contact person or coordinator.
The additional controls are selected by the QS office and carried out by neutral certification bodies. QS bears the costs for carrying out the random sample audits. If scheme participants generally refuse to carry out the random sample audit, the certification body shall decide whether the justification provided is comprehensible and sufficient. In the case of a justified audit rejection, the random sample audit is not carried out. If the audit is rejected without a comprehensible justification, it is evaluated with a general K.O.
, which can lead to the loss of approval and to the initiation of sanction proceedings.
Random sample audits are carried out in addition to the announced and unannounced audits, which are carried out in accordance with the QS inspection system. Random sample audits have no impact on the audit frequency or the status of the company, except in the case of K.O. evaluations.
