Quality Seal: Animal Welfare

Only pertinent to the Brazilian market 

Ensuring the welfare of the herd through proper management has become an essential model in animal breeding and slaughter. Through sustainable practices, the requirements need to meet a number of factors, ranging from ethics to improved product quality, including respect for the environment.

The final consumer is increasingly well-informed and demanding. For the food industry, just having the certification in Animal Welfare is not enough to align with the customer's perspectives, it is necessary to be able to communicate clearly. The QIMA/WQS Animal Welfare Seal plays the role of making this information reach not only the user who picks up the product on the shelves, but all spheres of the market.

What is the value of the QIMA/WQS Animal Welfare Seal?

With the Animal Welfare seal on the packaging, the company attests to its commitment to congruently follow the norms in pre-slaughter handling. For the final consumer, this positioning of good compliance with the norms is a demonstration of safety and credibility.

In addition to the good image passed to the user, the seal also legitimizes that the breeders are meeting the five freedoms that offer the framework of conditions established globally for the protection of the herd.

The five freedoms are a kind of declaration of animal rights. They are:

• Being free from hunger and thirst;
• To be free from discomfort;
• To be free from disease and injury;
• To be free to express the natural behaviors of the species;
• To be free from fear and stress.

Principles of Animal Welfare: What the QIMA/WQS Seal testifies to

A thorough audit is the basic principle in the process of acquiring the seal. All companies are audited once a year to ensure that they comply with the standards and to maintain the certification. Through this analysis, the auditors can observe if the guidelines are being followed and, from there, certify the maintenance of the seal or proceed with the updates required by the protocol.

Companies that have an implemented Animal Welfare program, trained personnel in good handling practices, documented procedures, and compliance with national and international legislation are qualified to apply for the quality seal.

The audits are impartial and based on internationally recognized protocols, such as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) for bovine and swine slaughterhouses, written by Temple Grandin, a world reference in Animal Welfare, together with the North American Meat Institute Animal Welfare Committee and the National Chicken Council (NCC) for poultry. All our protocols are approved by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO), as well as the qualification of our auditors.

The QIMA/WQS Animal Welfare seal certifies compliance in two types of processes:

• Rearing system: poultry or dairy cattle
• Industrial unit: poultry, pigs and cattle.

Why do you need the Animal Welfare Seal?

• Because it offers an opportunity to show the market and consumers the strict auditing and certification process your company underwent;
• The identification is applied on the product packaging and communicates clearly and directly with your consumer;
• Large retailers and food industries prioritize working with suppliers and producers that already have food safety protocols;
• It stands out on the shelf in front of the competitors;
• Gains more trust from the final consumer;
• It makes the company more transparent and aligned with ethical values and sustainability that govern today's global market.

Why choose the QIMA/WQS Animal Welfare Seal?

• Our team with over 30 years of experience in the food industry supply chain is ready to deliver end-to-end quality solutions for your business.
• Specialized in the food area, with structure designed to start your service quickly and available to clarify any questions that may arise along the way.
• Experienced and approved local auditors for various programs, specialized in all areas of quality and food safety.
• More than 9,000 satisfied customers in all stages of the food chain are proof of the quality, dedication, and success offered by QIMA/WQS.