Assurance checks will be done remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Farm quality assurance will be carried out remotely from next week, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) said.
A remote assessment tool has been developed with Lloyds Register following the suspension of all face-to-face assessments of quality assurance schemes as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Full quality assurance assessments will now be done in processing plants and auction marts, by hauliers, and on pig, cattle and sheep farms, and scheme members due their annual assessment will be contacted by a Lloyds Register assessor to conduct remote assessment in coming weeks.
QMS head of brand integrity Kathryn Kerr said the assessment would be a two-stage process which includes submitting documents to a portal or direct to an assessor for review.
A telephone interview or a livestream assessment of the physical standards using Lloyds Register Remote or similar platform will then take place.
She acknowledged not every member would be able to complete both elements of the assessment, so when face-to-face assessments resume these members will be assessed as a priority.
