Quality Meat Scotland has appointed the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society as the certification body to carry out assessment and certification services for assurance schemes.
Covering cattle, sheep, pigs, livestock haulage, auction markets, collection centres, processors and feeds, SAOS will be responsible for assessments through to the provision of certificates for the schemes.
Alan Clarke, QMS chief executive, said the transition will take place over the coming months with SAOS formally taking on the contract from 1 April 2022.
“The transition will take place over the coming months and all information will be transferred to our new provider," Mr Clarke explained.
"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.”
Established in 1990, the Scottish red meat industry’s quality assurance scheme is the longest established scheme of its kind in the world.
The scheme aims to provide industry and consumers with assurance that animals, produced for the food chain, are reared to a stringent set of standards, covering animal welfare, food safety, traceability and the environment.
Currently, just under 10,000 farms across Scotland operate under the assurance scheme.
Tim Bailey, SAOS chief executive said: “Since being established in 1905, SAOS has continually evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of our co-op members, as well as the wider farming and food sector.
“We are looking forward to working 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.”
