The expertise providing independent quality assurance for Scottish Quality Salmon is set to roll out to other areas.
Food Certification Scotland executive director Martin Gill said the assurance behind the Tartan Quality Mark and Label Rouge was “probably the premier scheme for aquaculture in the whole world. I have yet to see anything else that is as intense and thorough and independent.”
And he said price premiums and competitive advantage would accrue from that for producers in other fish and seafood species.
He hopes that the FCS model can soon be applied to UK wild caught scallops.
Gill has set up Food Certification International to look beyond the UK. In partnership with fishery management development specialist Nautilus Consultants, it has entered into the process of becoming accredited as a certification body for the Marine Stewardship Council.
Outside sustainability, Gill also sees great potential in accreditation of supplies from countries acceding to the EU that are required to provide quality assurance. “I want to build our expertise in fisheries and aquaculture so that the best people to approach are us.
“In terms of what they go through in inspection, the Scottish farms are doing a very good job and showing the way forward for those outside. Inspection looks at every nook and cranny. Their commitment to high quality can be proved.
“We are policing and proving the farms are doing what they say they are doing. Chile and Norway don’t have this sort of assurance scheme. They do not have independent voluntary standards.”
Food Certification Scotland executive director Martin Gill said the assurance behind the Tartan Quality Mark and Label Rouge was “probably the premier scheme for aquaculture in the whole world. I have yet to see anything else that is as intense and thorough and independent.”
And he said price premiums and competitive advantage would accrue from that for producers in other fish and seafood species.
He hopes that the FCS model can soon be applied to UK wild caught scallops.
Gill has set up Food Certification International to look beyond the UK. In partnership with fishery management development specialist Nautilus Consultants, it has entered into the process of becoming accredited as a certification body for the Marine Stewardship Council.
Outside sustainability, Gill also sees great potential in accreditation of supplies from countries acceding to the EU that are required to provide quality assurance. “I want to build our expertise in fisheries and aquaculture so that the best people to approach are us.
“In terms of what they go through in inspection, the Scottish farms are doing a very good job and showing the way forward for those outside. Inspection looks at every nook and cranny. Their commitment to high quality can be proved.
“We are policing and proving the farms are doing what they say they are doing. Chile and Norway don’t have this sort of assurance scheme. They do not have independent voluntary standards.”
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