Action 9
"Quality Meat Scotland will:
- update existing Quality Assurance
standards to reflect new areas of consumer concern,
e.g. eradication of some common animal diseases, animal
traceability, protection of the environment, improved
biosecurity;
- ensure rigorous compliance of
these standards through the independent auditing of
QMS's 11,000 members, ranging from farmers to
butchers;
- appoint a consumer representative
to its board to ensure that it is customer focused and
responsive to the needs of consumers;
- collect and disseminate market
information to help the industry in its business
decisions;
- spread best practice and, when
necessary, undertake its own research into production
methods to ensure that the industry can provide a
consistent quality product to consumers."
Progress
The Quality Assurance standards established by Quality
Meat Scotland (QMS) are regularly reviewed to ensure the
members of the scheme are producing beef, lamb and pork
using methods which have been identified as acceptable and
desirable by consumers.
The member businesses are regularly audited by an
independent organisation, Scottish Food Quality
Certification Ltd (SFQC) and robust systems exist to expel
businesses which do not comply with the standards.
Innovative research is being conducted with consumers to
ensure that the assurance standards used by QMS meet the
needs of the UK consumer.
QMS collates and analyses market information from
Scotland, the UK and beyond on a regular basis, to help
businesses become more successful and profitable. The
information is disseminated weekly via the Scottish
agricultural press and on the QMS website.
Regular industry seminars, co-ordinated by QMS, help
develop improved knowledge of, and facilitate the sharing
of ideas on, best practice to the industry. Improved
communication systems are in place to ensure that emerging
information is available to all businesses who are working
within the umbrella title of the Scottish red meat
industry.
Links
http://www.qmscotland.co.uk/
Primary activity under Action 9 is complete but
QMS's work in this area is ongoing.
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