Voluntary labelling scheme
What is it?
There are companies in the agri-food sector that detail specifications on the labels of their products that are not required by law, in these cases the data must be audited so the especifications can be verified.
For such certification it is required that the trademark owner submits the corresponding specifications to the competent body within the autonomous community our country for authorization. At the same time, the company must give the authorities the necessary information about the certification body that will perform the audits – which must be accredited according to UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17065.
As established on the control program, annual audits will be carried out in all production centres (feed mills, poultry farms, slaughterhouses, cutting plants or egg packing plants, and classification centres), with the purpose of evaluating the compliance with the requirements of the Voluntary Labelling Scheme.
In the labelling of products (eggs or meat), optional declarations are allowed; they are complementary to the rest of legal requirements that must appear on the labels in food products. This allows the consumer to differentiate these products and value their differential aspects.
Legal framework
As two examples of voluntary labelling we can make reference to:
- Royal Decree 226/2008, voluntary labelling of eggs for human consumption.
- Regulation (EC) No. 543/2008, voluntary labelling of poultry meat.
- OCA Global has accreditation No. 11/C-PR228, granted by ENAC, and is authorized in various autonomous communities to carry out voluntary labelling in eggs and poultry meat.
Who is it for?
This certification is designed for companies in the agri-food sector that wish to offer their customers an added value, especially with regard to the voluntary labelling of eggs and poultry meat – although voluntary labelling is also certified in the case of beef or sheep.
