QMS Appoints New Assurance Advisor

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has appointed Jill Hunter to the new role of Assurance Advisor.

Ms Hunter, whose family farms near Glenfarg in Perthshire, is an Applied Animal Science graduate from SRUC (formerly the Scottish Agricultural College) in Edinburgh and her career has included working with Richard Keenan UK Ltd as a ruminant nutritionist.

The part-time role will see Ms Hunter provide an expert advisory and liaison service to members of the six QMS quality assurance schemes – Cattle & Sheep, Pigs, Auction Market, Feed, Haulage and Processor.  This will include hosting advisory clinics and attending agricultural events to meet existing and prospective members, providing an opportunity for farmers and others in the industry to find out more about how the schemes work and the benefits of membership.

Suzanne Woodman, QMS Brands Integrity Manager, said she is delighted to welcome Jill to QMS.

“Following last year’s successful recruitment of over 600 members into the Cattle & Sheep assurance scheme alone, Jill will be working to further increase the number of businesses which benefit from being members of our quality assurance schemes and will help raise awareness and understanding of scheme requirements.

“The QMS assurance schemes are fundamental to maintaining the integrity of the Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork brands. The importance of quality assurance to consumers continues to grow and is a crucial aspect of the long-term sustainability of the Scottish red meat industry.”