Irish Quality Salmon (IQS)

The Irish Quality Salmon Scheme was the first EN45011 accredited food quality scheme in Ireland. Being formally launched in October 2001. While the scheme is entirely voluntary, it has been widely embraced by the industry.

The Irish Quality Salmon Scheme is designed to transparently demonstrate the integrity of product and processes used in the production and processing of salmon by participating company members. The scheme has four fully integrated standards covering the whole supply chain from broodstock to the final packed product. A separate standard exists for each of the freshwater rearing, saltwater rearing, packaging and processing and cold smoking stages of production. The Scheme aims to deliver consistent Quality Irish Salmon products to the marketplace and thereby enhance consumer confidence through traceability to best practice.

What does the Scheme Mark mean?

The IQS Scheme has a distinct quality mark. The Quality mark can only be used by Certified Companies. Presence of the mark assures that the salmon has been hatched, raised, harvested and packed under the strictest levels of food hygiene. The Quality mark was developed to allow customers to easily identify Irish Quality Salmon and has proved highly successful, and the scheme itself is recognised by retailers and processors both nationally and internationally.

The mark ensures that the product can be fully traced from hatchery to packing.

How does the industry achieve this mark?

Once the industry member has applied to become a certified member of the scheme, an independent third party rigorously audits them.

The audit report is submitted to a certification committee, which then decides as to whether the applicant can become a fully certified member.

If successful the member can then display the scheme mark on letterheads and packed boxes of fish.

How does the industry apply?

Application forms can be received from Irish Food Quality Certification Ltd. | t +353 (0)42 932 0912

Once the membership fee has been received by IFQC the relevant IQS standard will be forwarded to the applicant.

For further information please contact BIM’s Finfish Quality Officer, Vera Heffernan | t 01 2144193 | e heffernan@bim.ie

Visit the Irish Quality Salmon Scheme dedicated Web Site.

For the latest information on Irish farmed salmon see the publication Irish Farmed Salmon - The Facts (updated April 2008). This is a BIM publication designed to:

• give an insight into Irish farmed salmon
  
  
• put the Irish industry in an international context
  
  
• provide information about the process of farming salmon in Ireland 
  
  
• highlight the nutritional and general health benefits of farmed salmon consumption

The publication is available in pdf format (220kb) below.