If you are a preparation and/or processing company or a trading company with preparation/processing and would like to participate in the QS scheme, you can register in the QS database. There you can select an approved certification body to carry out the audit at your company. After a successful audit, the certification body enters the result in the QS database. You will then receive the QS scheme agreement to sign. After conclusion of the contract you are eligible to trade QS goods.
If, as a QS-GAP certified grower, you produce soup greens or carry out peeling processes and wish to market these processed, possibly packaged products as QS goods, please contact your coordinator.
You can find the documents for your participation in the QS scheme here.
Relevant documents
FAQs
All companies that have concluded a direct agreement (wholesale, preparation and processing) with QS and whose scheme participation is not organized through a coordinator pay their fee plus the applicable statutory value-added tax at the beginning of each contract year.
Companies and businesses at the production and logistics stages, as well as food retail markets, settle their QS scheme participation via their coordinator or, in the case of logistics, via the certification body. In these cases, the QS fee is included in a total invoice from the coordinator, which may also include other services provided, such as certification. QS has no influence on the coordinator's cost calculation for the scheme participant.
The QS scale of fees applicable from January 1, 2026 in the fruit, vegetables, and potatoes supply chain can be found here.
The fees for scheme participation are based on the level at which the QS scheme participant operates. The QS scale of fees distinguishes between production, wholesale, processing, logistics, and food retail. The wholesale and processing stages are further differentiated into first-line merchants, i.e. companies that receive the goods directly from the producer, and trading partners.
A flat annual fee applies to all scheme participants, with the exception of first-line merchants. The fee for first-line merchants is based on the company's total turnover. The respective amount is based on a 7-level turnover table. It is irrelevant how much turnover the company generates with QS products.
- Via the public scheme participant search: Here, the current status of the QS eligibility of delivery can be checked without logging into the QS database.
- Via the suppliers and recipient list: By using the lists of favorites (login to the QS database required!), you will automatically be informed by e-mail in the event of changes in the status of the QS eligibility of delivery of a deposited producer/supplier/consumer. A detailed instruction about this can be found here
The individual steps for participation in the QS system are explained in detail in the manual Steps to become a scheme participant - preparation/processing. You can find further relevant information under Preparation/Processing.
Since January 2020, QS goods in the QS supply chain fruit, vegetables and potatoes must be labelled with an identification number of the producer deposited in the QS database. In certain cases, an identification number of the packing location deposited in the QS database can be used instead of the producer number.
The labelling can be done either directly on the label of the goods (or box label) or in the delivery notes/accompanying documents.
The following figure clearly shows the requirement (Please click on the picture to enlarge).
QS will moderately adjust the fees for wholesalers and preparing and processing companies for fruit, vegetables, and potatoes by 10 percent starting in 2026. In addition, the previous six-tier turnover table used to determine the fee for first-line merchants will be supplemented by a further tier. The new highest turnover level applies to companies with an annual turnover of more than €75 million. The scale of fees thus reflects the structural change in the branch more fairly and adapts to the declining number of companies.
The QS scale of fees applicable from January 1, 2026 in the fruit, vegetables, and potatoes supply chain can be found here.
In addition, the participating company may incur further costs for certification, residue monitoring, and fees charged by the coordinator for bundled companies. However, these fees are not charged by QS.
The QS database provides the data management in the QS scheme. Via a web-based application, the database is the interface for scheme participants, coordinators, certification bodies, auditors and laboratories. Here, you can find your company's information (at location and scheme participant level), audit information as well as data from the residue monitoring samples. Furthermore, you can use the QS database to check the eligibility of delivery of suppliers and recipients.
You will receive individual access data for the partner area. In this closed area, printable files of the QS certification mark are available for you to download.
For the first time in over 20 years, QS is adjusting its fees for fruit, vegetables, and potatoes. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, the general increase in costs, particularly in recent years, which has had an impact on business activities, and, on the other hand, the declining number of companies in the FVP sector as a result of structural change. The adjustment will enable QS to continue to cover its costs in the future and offer the branch a broad and flexible range of services.
The fee covers the system scheme participant's registration in the QS database and all services provided directly by the QS scheme. This also includes the right to use the QS certification mark in accordance with the General Regulations
and the Style Guide (for the QS certification mark)
. The fee also entitles scheme participants to additional programs such as QS-FIAS and QS-FIN and the option of combined audits with McDonald's and Chain of Custody free of charge.
For QS-GAP certified production companies, the fees for scheme participation also include the registration fee for the GLOBALG.A.P database and the participation fee for the GLOBALG.A.P system.
The following processes fall within the scope of the Guideline Preparation/Processing Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes:
- Shredding
- Peeling
- Grating
- Slicing
- Pureeing
- Straining
- Freezing
- Heeting (boiling, cooking, blanching, pasteurisation, sterilisation, frying, grilling, roasting, stewing)
- Canning production
- Sprout production
