What is a Quality Assurance Scheme?
A Quality Assurance Scheme, for a food product, is a programme whereby the food is produced to a set of standards (rules) and the producer/processor is inspected (audited) to ensure that production is in accordance with those standards. In the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes all steps in the food chain from production to final packaging for sale to the end user are Quality Assured; these include the farm or growing unit, the meat factory or packing centre and any secondary processing food factory (smoking, curing, cooking etc)
There are 3 basic components in a Quality Assurance Scheme:
The standards are the requirements that members must comply with and these are drawn up by a Technical Advisory Committee(TAC). These experts are selected from relevant stakeholder groups, including farmers, processors and independent scientific and food safety experts. This TAC meets to update the standards in accordance with changes in legislation, market demands and changes in best practice. The main areas covered by the standards include traceability, animal welfare, care for the environment, safe use of medicines and chemicals at farm level; and animal welfare, food safety, hygiene and traceability at factory level.
The audit is the inspection of the farm or factory to ensure that the food is being produced in accordance with the standards. The audit is conducted by independent auditors and all members of the Quality Assurance Schemes receive inspections at regular intervals to ensure compliance. In addition spot audits are also carried out where necessary. The auditor makes a recommendation as to whether the farm or factory is to be certified.
After the audit is completed, and provided that the farm or factory meets the requirements of the standard, the next step in the process is certification. An independent certification committee makes the decision to certify. Certification is official confirmation that the audit has been passed and the member is then eligible to apply to use the Bord Bia Q mark on product where appropriate. Logos can be accessed here.
Sustainability and care for the environment as part of Bord Bia’s Quality assurance scheme
Sustainability in Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance standards is not an add-on, it is structurally embedded into farm management, audit criteria, and performance improvement. Through this approach, Bord Bia ensures that Irish food production is not only high-quality and safe but also aligned with long-term environmental goals and global consumer expectations. During regular QA audits, farmers are evaluated on areas such as:
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions where each farms carbon footprint is calculated using data from farm audits,
• Energy and Water Efficiency assessment require efficient water usage, proper storage, and protection of watercourses; Energy-saving practices – data captured on renewable energy use, efficient milking systems, etc.;
• Waste Management, - requirements on proper handling of farm waste, such as slurry, silage wrap, and unused/out of date animal medicines;
• Biodiversity - protection and maintenance of hedgerows, field margins, and habitats