GIQS in Lebensmittelbetrieben

Cross-border integrated quality assurance in food companies

As part of the EU INTERREG III A programme, a German-Dutch working group has taken the initiative to introduce important consumer protection tasks across borders by establishing integrated quality and hygiene management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), thus contributing to improving food quality and safety.

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On both sides of the border, a total of nine companies from the food industry had come together as pilot companies. They were supported by a German-Dutch working group comprising the consulting firms Concada and Corio, the University of Bonn, the software house PLATO AG and the veterinary and food monitoring authority of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, which was also in charge of the project.

One objective of the project was to adapt preventive risk management for consulting small and medium-sized enterprises and to introduce it within the framework of integrated quality and hygiene management. In addition to the implementation of the quality management system, the participating companies had the goal of being certified according to DIN ISO 9001 on the German side and according to BRC (British Retail Consortium) on the Dutch side. The duration of the project was 30 months.

The legal basis was the Council Directive 93/43 EEC on the hygiene of foodstuffs and the Regulation (EU 178/02) on procedures for food safety as well as the respective national legislation. The project process was divided into company-related and cross-company services. A German-Dutch consortium consisting of two consulting companies, a software house, the University of Bonn and two project members coordinated and implemented these services.

An individual set-up consultation took place in the plants, which was subdivided into the steps IST analysis, preparation of a QM manual, implementation of a risk analysis based on the HACCP concept and internal audits. In addition, employee training was supported to strengthen competencies and ensure continuous implementation of the quality and hygiene management system. The “Preventive Risk Management” tool supported the consultants in moderating the risk analyses on the one hand and served as a knowledge base for their risk analyses and inspection planning on the other.

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Financiers

GIQS in der Lebensmittelwirtschaft is implemented as part of the INTERREG III A programme Deutschland-Nederlands and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the economic ministries of the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia and the province of Limburg. It is supported by the programme management of the euregio rhein-maas-nord.

  • Funding programme: INTERREG III A
  • Term: 10/02 - 04/05
  • Budget: 800,000 Euro
  • Partners: GIQS + 3