Quality Assurance Programme - raw meat - for further processing plants supplying a fast food chain.

The main subjects of the quality assurance system in Esca are: 1. Specification A detailed specification for the products is available for suppliers. The specification covers besides the products we buy (meat) also the production of these products including animals, husbandry, animal welfare, feeding, transportation, slaughtering and processing. 2. New supplier approval Before new suppliers can sell products to Esca, the whole production chain is evaluated by a detailed audit procedure (hatchery, farm, feed mill, catching and transportation, slaughterhouse, deboning facility) 3. Test phase 4. During a test phase the physical and microbiological quality of the product is monitored thoroughly and any defects or noncompliances are reported back to the supplier in order to improve the quality to the required standard. 5. Monitoring When a new supplier is accepted for regular shipments to Esca, all deliveries are monitored for various quality parameters using a sampling plan. Results are always communicated back to the supplier. The results of the quality controls are the basis of the Esca “Supplier Evaluation Quality Rating System”. 6. Audits Regularly audits are carried out by Esca as well as by independent bodies in order to verify the compliances with the standards for GMP, HACCP and Traceability.