Quality Management --
Quality Beef Marketing
 
Hans-Joachim Huhn, Interest Group of Galloway Breeders
Hessen, Allendorf, Germany
Expert report to 2nd World Galloway Conference
September 3 to 6, 1998 at Aisfeld
 
System of Quality Management  

What are my aims? 

    • Securing and supporting quality of beef production 
    • Supporting the image of my products 
    • Safeguarding the consumer's trust 
    • Improvement of competitiveness 
    • Profiting from sales chances
System of Quality Management  

What is necessary for a QM system? 

Quality Management - Handbook 

    • Quality policy 
    • Organisation 
    • Documentation 
    • Training 
    • Process control 
    • Quality audits 
    • Correction and preventive steps
 
Quality Policy 
    The producer describes his efforts within the beef production fulfilling the requirements of the customers and taking care of the responsability towards animals and environment
Organization 
    • Description of structure and organisation of farm 
    • Tasks and responsability of the various boards and groups are fixed
Documentation 
    • Description of all records giving a complete evidence of quality Breeding book, Feeding stuff documentation, medicine documentation, check lists ... 

    • Indication of methods to control the documentation and storage time of documents

Training 
    • Description of thorough and co-ordinated training to secure that the expert knowledge necessary for the production is always up to date.
Process control  

Requirements and procedure regarding following facts: 

    • marking and registration 
    • premises and equipment 
    • keeping and feeding 
    • health of animals 
    • transport and slaughtering 
    • cleaning and hygienic 
    • control of faulty products
Quality audits 

Internal audits: 

    • Description of self-control with suitable time schedule and intervals as well as the documentation of it
External audits: 
    • Notice of verifying the quality management system by a competent, certified control office 

    • Notice of verifying individual parts by competent government boards or boards authorized by government

Correction and preventive measures 
    • Description of consequent and systematic handling of claims as well as regular analysis and judgements in order to take suitable steps and to fix new aims. Thus the QM system is constantly valued, improved and adapted to changing conditions.
 
Marketing of Quality Beef 
demonstrated by 
Galloway Gourmet Beef 

1.  Only beef of Galloway cattle is commercialized under this trade mark. It is specified that the slaughter cattlel are pure-bred or to be evidenced that they at least base upon a crossing of a Galloway bull x Galloway cross-breeding, i.e. a cross-breeding F2. 

2.  Normally only cattle out of own production and raising will be commercialized. If it is necessary to buy additional slaughter cattle this will only be bought from plants attending lgGz. Bought slaughter cattle has to fulfil at least the requirement of Item 1 and breeder as well as keeper must be evidenced. The purchase will only be accepted when a health certificate issued by a veterinarian is presented and for animals born after 28.10.95 the documents for cattle, the so-called identity card, is additionally requested. 

3.  Purchase of breeding cattle is not concerned by these regulations. In this case it is referred to herdbook rules, cattle regulations and the veterinarian stipulations. 

4.  In general, only bulls of an age of about two years and bullocks between 2 and 2,5 years and a living weight of about 500 kg will be commercialized. But also marketing of heifers or -- according to consumers' request --  of young animals at an age of about 9 months (so-called baby beef) is allowed. 

5.  The plant cultivation is only done extensively according to HEKUL or other similar programmes. Tilling of genetically modified feeding stuff is prohibited. At least 90% of all feed is produced on own plant or it is evidently shown that they are purchased from plants cultivating according to similar regulations, plants situated in a vicinity of about 100 km. Each purchase of feeding stuff has to be recorded. 

6.  All cattle of the plant has to be kept in a method suitable to species and to be kept outside for the whole year. Only in some exceptional cases the location with its climate during the winter makes it necessary to have them in an open stable with sufficient space to run outside or to reach the meadows steadily. It is not allowed to keep them on split grounds. 

7.  Feeding of cattle during the months of vegetation from spring to autumn only by grazing. Additional hay and straw ad libidum are allowed. During winter month feed must consist for more than 90% of hay and/or grass silage and straw. Feeding of maize is not allowed. 

8.  Use of genetically modified feedstuff as well as feedstuff containing antibiotics, promoters of efficiency and/or other feeding aids are principally prohibited. 

9.  The use of medicine is only allowed to keep the cattle alive or to avoid unnecessary disease from the animals. Each use of medicine has to be recorded. After using medicine the waiting period has to be three times as long as prescibed. 

10.  If requested by location, bulls and bullocks are allowed to be fed finally in a stable to reach the optimum beef quality. All requirements described under Item 4-9 regarding feeding and use uf medicine have to be fulfilled. The stable is not allowed to have split floor and straw has to be strewn into the stable. 

11.  Transport of cattle to slaughterhouse has to be made individually or in small groups. The transport means must be admitted for this purposes and must be suitable to species of animals according to accident preventive regulations. The transport distance is normally limited to the few kilometers to the local slaughterhouse. Transport ways of more than 100 km are in no case allowed. Loading and unloading of cattle to be made in a careful manner, free of stress, without using electric drovers and/or sticks. 

12.  Slaughtering to be done without delay, free of stress and suitable to species. They may not be mixed to other animals. Delays of more than 1 hour to be avoided. 

13.  In order to safeguard a constant beef quality only ripened beef is sold. Depending on slaughter and age of animal the beef will ripen abt. 2 to 3 weeks. 

14.  Fresh beef offered under the trademark „Galloway Gourmet Beef" will strictly be produced under these regulations. Sausage products out of this fresh beef combined with other meat (e.g. pork or game) will be described with precentage of these ingredients and the origin of them to be evidenced and recorded. 

15.  According to HEKUL or similar programme cultivated ground will be controlled as to use of fertilizer and number of animals grown on it. The responsible office for regional development, care of landscape and agriculture will effect these controls for the individual farm. The origin of all herdbook cattle on the farms will be registered and controlled by the breeding board. 

16.  0n request, every interested customer may look into the files and records confirming and explaining that all requirements as per item 1 to 15 are fulfilled. Every customer is allowed to visit the plant and to convince himself of the regulations observed and to get a survey on premises, hygienic measures and suitable cattle breeding. 

17.  The fulfilment of item 1 to 16 will be controlled at least once a year on the farms by an independant office entitled by lgGz and will be certified.
 
Documentation 

Enclosure:  List of medicine 
Farm: 

Date
Ear Mark No.
Reason for Therapy
Medicine/vaccine
Waiting period
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
List of slaughter stock 
Farm: 
No.
Date of
slaughter
Ear mark
No.
Date of
birth
Place of
slaughter
Inspection
document
Beef
ripening
Final
feeding
Purchased
from
Date of
inspection
by:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
Audit questions: 

1.  Since the last routing controll: Has there been any cattle slaughtered and commercialized unter trademark „Galloway Gourmet Beef"? 

     No       Yes       Quantity as per enclosed list „S"
2.  Have any animals been purchased from other farms since the last routine control? 
    No       Yes:  
    if affirmative, which: See consecutive No. Of Enclosure „S" 

    Health certificate and accompanying documents for the animals available? 
    Yes       No

3.  Method of keeping the stock: 
    outside allover the year:    from       to 
    in open stable                      from       to
4.  Stock fed with: 
    Summer: 
    Winter:
5.  Which feeding stuff in which lots has been purchased additionally since the last routine control? How was this purchase recorded? 

6.  Is there any suspicion to have given antibiotics, promoters of effiiciency or other feeding aids? 

    Yes       No
7.  Has any medicine been given to the animals since the last routine control?
    Yes       No

    How was this use of medicine recorded?
    List of Medicine („M") or other documentation? 

    Has the waiting period agreed upon of three times as long as prescribed been observed?
    Yes       No 

8.  Is the general impression of stock health ok? 
    Yes       No

    Remark: 

9.  Which animals as per Enclosure S have been finally fed?
    Consecutive No. of Enclosure „S" 
    Where and by which stuff has it been done? 
10.  Is the distance to the slaughterhouse as per Enclosure „S" within the allowed transport way?
    Yes       No 

    Ripening of beef: Which method and at which place>? 

11.  Are there any other meat products and sausage of own production commercialized under the said trademark? 
    Yes       No 
12.  Is any other meat mixed to beef products and sausage and how is the quantity and origin declared and recorded? 

13.  As to which rules (HEKUL, HELP ...) is the farm cultivated?

    The last control on cultivation of the farm has been made at which date and by whom? 
14.  lncreased and decreases of number of animals: Have they duly been recorded in herdbook and list for cattle commercialization?
    Yes       No 

    Remarks:

    Deviations: 

Date:                  Inspected by:                                  for farm: 
 
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This page last modified September 18, 1998.