QS — quality and safety for the German market
QS is a German quality and safety scheme covering the whole chain — from farm to shop. It’s often required to supply German retail. We explain what it covers and how to join.
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QS (from the German Qualität und Sicherheit, meaning "quality and safety") is a food quality and safety assurance scheme that covers the entire production chain — from the farm and feed, through slaughter and processing, all the way to the shop shelf. It originated in Germany and is widely recognised there; its mark on a product signals that the same rules were enforced at every stage.
Does a poultry farm need QS?
QS is not required by law, but in practice it is often the price of entry. German retail chains and buyers very frequently require QS-scheme products, so for farms that want to supply poultry to the German market the certificate becomes a passport. If you sell only to a local market that does not require QS, you probably don’t need it.
What the QS scheme requires
QS ties the requirements for the whole poultry chain into one coherent system.
Husbandry and animal welfare
Requirements for poultry housing conditions, stocking, flock health and veterinary care — so that animals are kept to agreed rules.
Feed and its origin
Feed must come from trusted, controlled sources (QS also covers the feed sector), so that safety starts with what the poultry eats.
Antibiotic monitoring
Antibiotic use is reported and tracked in the QS antibiotics database. This makes it possible to control how much medicine reaches the flocks and to curb overuse.
Salmonella monitoring
Poultry flocks are covered by a Salmonella testing programme, to detect infections early and stop them moving further down the chain.
Traceability along the chain
Every stage — farm, transport, slaughter, processing — must be linked so the product can be traced from start to finish.
Certification body audit
An independent audit by an accredited body checks compliance with QS requirements. The outcome decides participation in the scheme and keeping it.
QS step by step
- 1
Check whether you need QS
Work out where your poultry ends up. If you are targeting German chains and buyers that require QS, the certificate will be a condition of cooperation. If you don’t sell to that market, QS is probably not necessary.
- 2
Learn the QS guidelines for your stage
The scheme has separate guidelines for different stages of the chain (poultry husbandry, feed, transport, slaughter). Study the ones that apply to your activity, so you know exactly what you must meet.
- 3
Implement the requirements on the farm
Adapt husbandry, documentation, Salmonella monitoring and antibiotic-use reporting to QS requirements. Take care of traceability and hygiene. This is the most labour-intensive stage.
- 4
Register in the QS scheme
Join the scheme as a participant and connect to the required databases (e.g. the antibiotics database). Registration fixes your place in the QS chain.
- 5
Pass the certification body audit
An auditor from an accredited body checks the documentation and practice on the farm. After a positive result (and closing any non-conformities) you can supply as a QS participant.
- 6
Maintain participation — audits and reporting
QS status requires regular audits and ongoing reporting (antibiotics, Salmonella). Neglected submissions or documentation are the most common cause of trouble.
Frequently asked questions about QS
Must every poultry farm have QS?add
No. QS is not required by law. It becomes necessary when you want to supply poultry to the German market, because retail chains and buyers there very frequently require it. If you don’t sell to a market that expects QS, the certificate is usually not necessary.
What is the QS antibiotics database?add
It is a central system in which antibiotic use in animals is reported and tracked. It shows how much medicine reaches the flocks, which helps control and curb overuse across the whole QS chain.
How is QS different from HACCP?add
HACCP is a hazard-analysis method for a plant. QS is broader — a scheme covering the whole chain (farm, feed, slaughter, shop) with its own requirements for welfare, antibiotic and Salmonella monitoring, and traceability. QS uses food-safety principles but adds requirements specific to the German market.
Who requires QS from a farm?add
Most often German retail chains and the buyers and plants that supply them. If you want your poultry to reach that market, participation in QS is often a condition of signing a contract.
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