Where you see Bord Bia Q Mark on a product it means that the product has been produced in accordance with the required Quality Assurance standards (see Q 1 above) and secondly the flag and the ‘Origin Ireland’ on the mark verify that the product was produced, in its entirety, in Ireland – where you see this mark it means that the food was farmed and slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland.
Bord Bia operates Quality Assurance Schemes for the following:
Bacon, Beef, Chicken, Duck, Eggs, Fruit, Lamb, Pork, Turkey and Vegetables. A substantial number of farmers/producers and processors are members of these schemes and therefore, a large range of food with the Bord Bia Q Mark is available from all the major supermarkets and other retail outlets.
Only food produced on approved Irish farms and slaughtered in approved Irish factories can carry the Origin Ireland Q Mark.
There are 3 main versions - all members of the Bord Bia QAS are on the island of Ireland.
Quality assured food that is produced and processed in the Republic of Ireland will have the Origin Ireland Q Mark (Fig 1)
Quality assured food that is produced and processed in Northern Ireland will have the Origin Northern Ireland Q Mark (Fig 2)
Some quality assured food may be farmed in Republic of Ireland and processed in Northern Ireland, in this case it will carry Q Mark shown in Fig 3
Yes. Many companies, certified by Bord Bia, use quality assured meat as an ingredient in their prepared meals. Where the percentage of meat in the final product is over 90% (87% or greater in the case of pigmeat products and 70% or greater for sausages) of the total ingredients and the meat is quality assured then the Q Mark on the label will be as in Fig 4. Where the quality assured meat in the final product is less than 90% of the total ingredients, the Q Mark in Fig 5 is used – this is to convey that it is the meat portion of the product that is quality assured by Bord Bia.
There are a number of reasons why you should choose product with the Q Mark.
Firstly, you are assured that the product has been produced to the highest international standards and that this is checked regularly by Bord Bia.
Secondly, you know where it comes from – if it carries the Origin Ireland Q Mark then you are assured that the product was grown and processed in the Republic of Ireland.
Thirdly, there are over 40,000 Irish farmers who are members of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance schemes and a similar number of employees in the food industry who are involved in bringing quality assured food to you. By purchasing quality assured food you are demonstrating your support and preference for their products.
A majority of Irish shoppers say that seeing the Q Mark on meat would make them more likely to buy (Source: Behaviour & Attitudes 2011).
The Bord Bia Q Mark is based on standards that have been developed and refined over a number of years in consultation with scientists, academics and independent experts on a broad range of issues such as food safety, animal health and welfare, care for the environment etc. The Bord Bia Quality Assurance Board, which has responsibility for all Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance Schemes, is comprised of members with a wide range of experience and expertise including specialists in food production, veterinary medicine, regulation and retailing. In addition the Board also includes an experienced consumer representative to ensure that consumer interests are taken into account at all times.
All of the Bord Bia standards are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with changes in regulations and best practice and these standards are publicly available and published on our website. All the Bord Bia Quality Assurance standards comply to international best practice and are independently certified.
All the Bord Bia Quality Assurance schemes are accredited to European Standard ISO 17065 audited by the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB)
and to the NSAI I.S. EN ISO 9001:2015 National Standards Authority of Ireland – this means that they are recognised internationally which is very
important for exports. The Bord Bia schemes are themselves regularly audited to ensure that they are keeping pace with the best global standards.
Although the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes are voluntary schemes there is significant support for them from farmers and the food industry. Currently over 42,000 farmers and over 150 food processors and packers are members of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes.
There are separate schemes for: