Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has appointed farm co-ops body SAOS to carry out farm assurance checks and supply chain certification.
SAOS (the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society) will be responsible for carrying out all assessment and certification services for all of the QMS whole of life, whole of production supply chain assurance schemes.
The schemes cover the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork brands.
It will take over from Lloyd’s Register on April 1, 2022, and its remit will cover assessments and the provision of certificates for cattle, sheep, pigs, livestock haulage, auction markets and collection centres, processors and feeds.
“Scotland was the pioneer of red meat Quality Assurance and our schemes offer consumers in the UK and overseas the legal guarantee that the meat they buy has come from animals that have spent their whole lives being raised to some of the world’s strictest welfare standards,” said QMS chief executive Alan Clarke.
He said a transition process will take place over the next few months ahead of SAOS formally taking on the contract.
“Members will be kept up to date at every stage of the process and we look forward to working closely with SAOS to ensure the move is as smooth as possible,” added Mr Clarke.
SAOS chief executive, Tim Bailey, said the organisation had developed its Food Integrity Assurance business to support, develop and build on Scotland’s sustainable food production credentials.
He added: “We are looking forward to working closely with QMS and the red meat supply chain to ensure requirements for whole chain assurance are met to underpin the integrity of the premium Scotch and Specially Selected brands.”
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