External Quality Control
In addition to internal quality controls, Elbe-Obst also carries out various external quality controls. In addition to the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, there are also inspections to determine whether the guidelines of the Controlled Integrated Production are met. In addition, there are official controls and export controls.
VOLUNTARY QUALITY CONTROL
The Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony (LWK) conducts independent in-process quality checks and verifies the correctness of the sorting, processing, packaging and labeling; to avoid complaints and to have a basis for settlement with the producer.
There are daily external auditors of the Chamber of Agriculture at the sorting stations of Elbe-Obst and the production establishments in operation, so that an inspector is at least every second day, present at a Elbe-Obst sorting station. Besides, the examiners are available at any time for inquiries. Each batch checked is recorded manually on a quality decree.
IP-INSPECTIONS / AUDITS
According to the guidelines for the Controlled Integrated Pome and Stone Fruit growing of the Niederelbe, the Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony (LWK) inspects the operations of the producer. The inspections include: Operational logs, operating equipment and orchards. Each year all the orchard registers of all the integrated-growing producers are inspected. Every year in addition – besides the controls of the quality system – 20% of the producers’ orchards are inspected and assessed.
OFFICIAL CONTROL
Compliance with the provisions on marketing standards of the EU is controlled by the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) to ensure that the quality produced is retained until delivery to the consumer. The control starts with the preparation and loading of the producers shipping stage. It continues on the subsequent stages, both the wholesale and the retail trade.
The district of Stade (Office of Food Control) and the district of Cuxhaven (Veterinary) examine in the context of official food control, fruit samples for compliance with the Food, Commodities and Feed Code (LFGB) with the implementing regulations. The offices acts on suspicion and regularly through random checks, fruit tests to analyses if there are any remains. This is done at the State Food Monitoring office in Oldenburg.
OFFICIAL EXPORT CONTROL
The Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony (LWK) performs the official control of exportable goods. It l assesses the adequacy of sorting, processing, packaging and labeling. The testing applications are made regularly by random sampling, to order, and in case of suspicion.
