Dedication to Quality and Food Safety

Food safety programs, regulatory expertise and training services are offered through our value added Quality + Food Safety program

QCS can provide technical assistance and consultation to its members by using both internal and external resources with extensive experience in specific areas as it relates to production, quality, sanitation, regulatory and other aspects of the dairy and food manufacturing industry. Download the QCS Quality & Food Safety Services at-a-glance flyer.

Consumers trust products that are produced to a higher standard, and the member-owned Quality Chekd (blue Q, red check) trademark members have committed to uphold the organization’s goal of achieving higher standards. The trademark is an endorsement of food safety and quality to customers and consumers.

The QCS Quality + Food Safety program consists of the following:

• Best-in-class quality assurance (QA) practices and programs
• Finished-product testing and compliance
• Food safety education and certification
• Regulatory expertise and guidance, as well as continuous improvement
• Industry benchmarking and best practices
• On-site consultations and plant assessments
• Product recall information and crisis communication

Find the resources and support you need. To learn more about the Quality + Food Safety program contact us at [email protected].

Product Evaluation and Lab Support

Dairy Quality Excellence Program

The Dairy Quality Excellence Program is designed to provide a venue to demonstrate adherence to elevated quality standards on a routine basis and to benchmark against top dairy companies across the nation. Participants submit dairy product samples to Mérieux NutriSciences monthly. These products are tested for microbiological, chemical, and sensory characteristics are compared to the organization’s strict guidelines.

Performance is scored and results are compiled in an informative benchmarking report each month.
Participants also provide their annual 3rd party quality and food safety audit reports to demonstrate
production excellence and to provide additional material for benchmarking criteria. At the end of each annual program cycle, the participants are recognized for superior placement amongst peers and winners are formally awarded at our QCS Annual Conference.

The Dairy Quality Excellence Program cycle runs from July 1 through June 30 each year. Because participants must have a full 12 months of product test results on file to qualify for awards, enrollment in each cycle must be completed by June 15th of each year.

Read the attached brochure to learn more.

Dairy Lab Proficiency Program

The QCS Proficiency Program provides members a confidential venue to routinely assess the technical proficiency of their in-house lab and staff. Participation offers a cost effective method to benchmark with other participants and to compare standard dairy testing skills and test results to those of an accredited third party lab. Through continuous participation in this testing program, each organization will:

• Access lab/analyst proficiency, precision and accuracy
• Establish on-site lab credibility
• Benchmark with peer participants
• Comply with GFSI and customer audit criteria

Read the attached brochure to learn more.

Partnership with Merieux NutriSciences

Through QCS’s partnership with Merieux NutriSciences, members are offered substantial discounts on a number of services, such as packaging certification, nutritional analysis, third-party auditing and environmental monitoring.

Merieux NutriSciences is the leading internationally accredited provider of food safety and quality services. Through the QCS Purchasing program, Quality Chekd members receive a substantial discount and exclusive pricing on critical lab, food safety and quality assurance services, such as single service packaging certification, 3rd party and GFSI auditing, training, environmental testing, data management and nutritional analysis/labeling assistance.