Farm Sign - Quality Assurance

Farm Sign - Quality Assurance is a 40 x 30 cm aluminium sign with vinyl printing, and is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.

Features of the Farm Sign - Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance (QA) is defined as 'the maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product, especially by means of attention to every stage of the process of delivery or production'.

In the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes, all steps in the food chain from production to packing for sale to the consumer are Quality Assured. There are three fundamental elements in a Quality Assurance (QA) Scheme:

• Standards
• Audit
• Certification

Standards

Formulated by a panel of experts, the standards are the rules that members must adhere to. The main areas covered by the standards include traceability, animal welfare, protection of the environment, proper use of medicines and chemicals at farm level. At factory level, the areas covered include animal welfare, food safety, hygiene and traceability.

Audit

The farm or factory is inspected by independent auditors to ensure that the food is being produced in a manner that conforms with the standards. All members of the QA schemes will be inspected regularly to ensure compliance. In addition, random audits may be carried out. The auditors make a decision as to whether the farm or factory is to receive certification.

Certification

Providing all requirements have been met, the next step is certification. An independent certification committee makes this decision. Certification is official confirmation that the audit has been passed and the member is entitled to apply to use the Bord Bia Q mark on products where appropriate.

What is Bord Bia's Quality Mark?

• Guarantees that the highest international standards in food production have been achieved
• Farmers, processors and packing houses have been independently audited & certified
• Guarantees that food has been produced in Ireland