Scotland’s Pride in Quality Assurance Captured in New Video

The pride Scottish farmers, butchers and chefs take in the quality assurance which underpins the industry’s red meat brands is captured in a new video produced by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

The video, which has already been viewed via social media almost 30,000 times, highlights the priority given to animal welfare in the production of quality assured livestock in Scotland. It also emphasises the positive environmental role livestock farming plays in Scotland’s natural landscape and the importance of family farming.

Among those featured in the video are John Scott, who farms cattle and sheep at Fearn Farm, near Tain, and pig farmer Robin Traquair of Wellington Farm near Dalkeith.

The pair highlight the importance of quality assurance to their farming enterprises and the priority they give to animal welfare on their farm. QMS has an “Animal Welfare and Wellbeing Charter” and works in partnership with the Scottish SPCA, Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity.

Recent ShopperVista results from the food and grocery research and training charity IGD, confirm the importance which shoppers are placing on animal welfare. The results of research published by IGD in September 2015, reveal that 84% of shoppers now view animal welfare as important in their choice of product, with 46% viewing it as very or extremely important.

Butcher Iain Hunter of Hunters of Kinross, a member of the Scotch Butchers Club, is also interviewed in the video and outlines the importance of providing his customers with quality assured Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

Jacqueline O’Donnell, patron/chef of The Sisters restaurants in Glasgow appears in the video highlighting the importance of quality assurance in the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork she serves to customers in her acclaimed restaurants.

The video, which also features Scottish SPCA inspector, Doug Campbell, is part of a range of activities being undertaken to tie in with the 25th anniversary of the quality assurance schemes which underpin the Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork brands.

Scotland’s quality assurance schemes are among the longest-running in the world, with the Scots global pioneers of the quality assurance concept first introduced here in 1990.

Jim McLaren, Chairman of QMS, said the industry’s long-running quality assurance schemes are a vital aspect of what sets Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork apart.

“It is great to see so many parts of the Scottish red meat chain – from our farmers to butchers and chefs – recognising the importance of quality assurance and animal welfare.

“Our industry has an exceptionally positive message in terms of the quality of our products, and the sustainable and welfare-friendly way they are produced. The video also clearly shows the passion and pride our farmers, butchers and chefs share in their roles in delivering a top quality product to the public.”

The video can be viewed in the QMS video library or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Quality-Meat-Scotland-QMS-481617298516624/ and on QMS’s MooTube channel on Youtube.