The first level of control in the QS scheme is self-assessment. Here, feed companies are responsible for verifying their own compliance with QS requirements. This allows nonconformities to be identified and corrected before they pose a risk to feed safety. The checklists provided by QS can be used to conduct the annual self-assessments. It is not necessary to address all items on the checklist; only the requirements relevant to the specific company need to be addressed. If nonconformities are identified during the self-assessment, the necessary corrective actions and their implementation can also be documented in the checklists.