Regional and traditional products

Benefits of obtaining the PRiT certificate:

• Increase in the market attractiveness and competitiveness of the product sold.
• Regional and Traditional products are of very high quality, which at the same time is characterized by a unique traditional production method.
• Regional and Traditional products sold on the EU market are legally protected.
• The system of protection and promotion of Regional and Traditional products is one of the most important factors affecting the sustainable development of rural areas and the implementation of the assumptions of the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy.
• Promotion of Regional and Traditional Products also protects the cultural heritage of the countryside, which greatly contributes to increasing the attractiveness of rural areas and the development of agro-tourism and rural tourism.

Certifications of national quality systems such as Integrated Plant Production and Regional and Traditional Products are carried out on the basis of accreditation by the Polish Accreditation Center No. AC 176, which QA Solutions obtained on 07/03/2014. 

Full scope of accreditation can be checked at PCA. 

CERTIFICATION SCHEDULE (effective 13.05.2024)

1. Acceptance of Application

1.1 QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. provides all necessary information to persons interested in certification of Regional and Traditional Products confirming the compliance of the production process of agricultural products and foodstuffs with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) (i.e., Regional and Traditional Products). Regional and Traditional Products) before submitting An application to join the certification of regional and traditional products. 

1.2 The application may be submitted by all Producers who intend to join the certification of Regional and Traditional Products. The application from the Producer may be accepted electronically (e-mail to: info@qasolutions.pl), by mail or be personally delivered by the Producer. Neither of these is discriminated against. The application is accepted and signed by the recipient with the date of receipt on the form Application to join the certification of regional and traditional products available on the website www.qasolutions.pl.

1.3 Within 7 working days from the date of receipt of the application, an employee of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. analyzes the submitted documentation and evaluates it in terms of form and content.

1.4 In the case of an incomplete application, a Call for Data Supplementation is sent to the Manufacturer electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail (depending on the consent of the Manufacturer) with a deadline for data supplementation. Once the Producer's data are entered into the register, a Certificate of entry into the Register of Producers who have declared their intention to certify regional and traditional products is issued, which is then sent to the Producer electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail, or given to the Producer in person. In the case of non-registration of the Producer, the Certification Body sends a written notification stating the reasons for not being included in the Register of Producers who have declared their intention to certify regional and traditional products. The notification is sent electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail.

1.5 After entry in the Register, the Certification Director, on the basis of data from the application, prepares (in two identical copies) and signs the Certification Agreement. Copies of the agreement are sent to the Manufacturer electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail. The Manufacturer is obliged to sign and return 1 copy of the agreement to the Certification Body within 21 days from the date of receipt. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, it is attached to the Producer's documentation. 

1.6 If the signed agreement is not sent back within the prescribed period, further certification process will not continue, resulting in deletion of the Producer from the Registry of Producers who have declared their intention to certify regional and traditional products. The Certification Body sends to the Producer electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail  a notification stating the reasons for deletion from the Register of Producers who have declared their intention to certify regional and traditional products.

2. Farm/company inspection and issuance of a certificate

2.1 A written notification is sent to the Producer about the date and course of the inspection - Inspection Plan. The inspection plan is sent to the Producer electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail no later than 3 days before the scheduled inspection date.

2.2 The inspection at the farm/company is carried out in accordance with the Inspection Plan, during the audit window, during the period of harvest of agricultural products or production of the foodstuff in question. It is permissible to conduct a post-harvest inspection if all products submitted for certification are available on the farm. The duration of the inspection depends on the specifics of the certified product. The inspection is carried out in the presence of the Producer or a person authorized by him (on the basis of written authorization). During the inspection, the Inspector interviews the Producer related to the subject  of the inspection  and  determines the compliance of the product and production process with the specification on the basis of a representative total number of samples, determined in relation to the number of varieties declared. The scope of the inspection should take into account all the requirements of the product specification.  

2.3 If nonconformities are found during the inspection, the inspector shall determine whether it is possible to take corrective action against the found nonconformities. The inspector accepts and records the corrective actions proposed by the Manufacturer and the deadlines for their implementation. If it is not possible to take corrective actions, the Inspector records information on this subject in the Protocol of inspection of regional and traditional products and does not apply for the issuance of a certificate.

2.4 The Producer, after carrying out corrective actions, is obliged to send to the Certification Body QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. evidence of the implemented actions.

2.5 The Inspector shall take samples for laboratory testing, if specified in the scope of the inspection conducted, and shall prepare a Sampling Report. 

After completion of the inspection, the Inspector shall prepare 2 copies of the Inspection Report, which shall be forwarded to the Manufacturer or authorized person for signature. If the Manufacturer disagrees with the result of the inspection and refuses to sign the protocol, the Inspector shall record this in the protocol under the heading "Comments on the protocol". One copy of the protocol is given to the Manufacturer. The Producer has the right to lodge a complaint within 7 days from the date of the Protocol.

2.6 A fee is charged for the inspection activities carried out on the basis of the Fee schedule for carrying out the process of certification of regional and traditional products. After the inspection, the Director of Certification issues a payment document for certification and sends it electronically (by e-mail) or by registered mail to the Producer.  

2.7 The certificate together with the Documentation Verification Report is sent to the Manufacturer by registered mail, or it is possible to pick up the documents in person. The certificate is issued for the period necessary for the disposal of the product of the production season, but no longer than for a period of 12 months counting from the date of its validity. The condition for the transfer of the certificate to the Manufacturer is the payment of the entire fee for the certification process.

3. Supervision, revocation and amendment of the certificate

3.1 Supervision of certified Manufacturers The Certification Body QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. performs through supervisory inspections, these are unannounced inspections. The inspections are carried out after the issuance of the certificate during its validity period. Surveillance inspections are carried out at 2% of certified Producers holding the certificate of Regional and Traditional Products issued by QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. for each product group. Supervisory inspection is also carried out in case of: a complaint, a complaint, information in the media regarding the adulteration of a product, a suggestion from the inspector conducting the inspection, or other situations that may indicate irregularities related to the conduct of the process and the misuse of the PGI/GTS mark. The inspection is carried out in the presence of the Producer or a person authorized by the Producer (based on written authorization). During the inspection, the Inspector interviews the Producer related to the subject of the inspection and determines the compliance of the product and the production process of the product with a registered name as a PDO, PGI or TSG with the specification on the basis of a representative number of samples. 

3.2 Upon completion of the supervisory inspection, the Inspector prepares 2 copies of the Supervisory Inspection Report, which he forwards to the Producer or authorized person for signature. If the Manufacturer disagrees with the result of the inspection and refuses to sign the protocol, the Inspector shall record this in the protocol under the heading "Comments on the protocol". One copy of the protocol is given to the Manufacturer. The Manufacturer has the right to file a complaint within 7 days from the date of the Protocol. On the basis of the Supervisory Inspection Report, the President of the Board of Directors of QA Solutions Ltd. or the Director of Certification decides whether to maintain or suspend the certificate. The decision must be made within 3 days from the date of Supervisory Inspection Report.

4. Suspension of Certification

4.1 The President of the Board of Directors of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. or the Director of Certification shall make the decision to suspend the certification. Certification decides to suspend certification in cases of:

- discovery during a surveillance inspection of non-fulfillment of the requirements for Regional and Traditional Products,

- failure of the certificate holder to fulfill the obligations set forth in the concluded agreement, including the right to use the certificate of conformity,

- obstruction by the certificate holder to conduct a surveillance inspection,

- receipt of information from the market or food safety authority about non-fulfillment of the requirements for Regional and Traditional Products.

4.2 Suspension of the certificate applies to the entire document, and the maximum period of suspension may not exceed the validity period of the certificate. A letter approved by the President of the Board of Directors of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. or the Director of Certification containing information about the suspension and the conditions for suspension of the certificate shall be sent to the Producer electronically (by e-mail) and by registered mail.

4.3 In the case of suspension of the certificate, the Producer may not use the PDO/PGI/GTS mark and is removed from the database of issued certificates located on the www.qasolutions.pl. 

4.4 Suspension of the certificate may take place on the basis of submitted evidence of implementation of corrective actions or on the basis of a reassessment of the farm/plant. The final decision on the suspension of certification is made by the President of the Board of Directors of QA Solutions Ltd. or the Director of Certification. Information about the suspension of certification is sent to the Producer electronically (e-mail) or by registered mail, while the Producer is entered in the database of issued certificates located on the website www.qasolutions.pl.

5. Revocation of certification

5.1 The President of the Board of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. or the Director of Certification shall decide to revoke certification in cases:

- finding of intentional abuse of the rights under the certificate,

- failure to meet the conditions for suspension of the certificate within the specified period,

- occurrence during the surveillance inspection of non-conformity impossible to remove by the Manufacturer.

5.2 A decision on the revocation of certification is sent to the Manufacturer electronically (by e-mail) and by registered mail, with justification, approved by the President of the Board of Directors of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. or the Director of Certification.

5.3 If nonconformities occurred with respect to individual varieties and not the entire product, the Manufacturer is called upon to return the certificate. The Certification Body shall issue a new certificate with the same number for the remaining varieties and update the information about the Producer posted on the  website www.qasolutions.pl.

5.4 If the entire document is revoked, the Producer shall be called upon to return the certificate and prohibited from using the PDO/PGI/GTS mark. The Producer shall be deleted from:

- the Register of Certificates Issued (P14/F17),

- the information about the Producer posted on the website www.qasolutions.pl.

5.5 Employees of QA Solutions Certification Body at the request of interested persons provide information on the status of the certificate (suspended, withdrawn), if it has been removed from the database of issued certificates located on the website www.qasolutions.pl.

6. Extension of the scope of certification

No extension of the scope of certification is possible. In order to be certified for more agricultural products/foodstuffs, the Producer must make a new application to join the certification of Regional and Traditional Products.

7. Cancellation of the certificate

Certification can be cancelled after:

- notification by the interested Producer of cancellation of the certificate,

- determination of a mistake on the issued certificate.

8. Publication of information about certified Manufacturers

On the website of the Certification Body www.qasolutions.pl it is possible to verify the validity of the certificate and the products covered by the certificate.

9. Appeals and Complaints

All appeals and complaints are accepted and recorded in the Complaints and Appeals Sheet (sheet available on the website www.qasolutions.pl). The time limit for processing an appeal/complaint is 7 days. In the event that it is necessary to take additional measures that make it impossible to consider the case within the time limit, the appellant/complainant will be informed in writing.

10. Rules for the use of the PDO/PGI/GTS mark

After the issuance of the certificate, the Producer has the right to mark its products with the PDO/PGI/GTS logo in accordance with the Legal Regulations and the information contained in the Certification Agreement.

11. Confidentiality

Persons involved in the certification process shall ensure the confidentiality of all information related to the certification procedure and shall certify this by signing relevant documents.

12. Fees

Financial matters related to certification of services shall be governed by the price list of fees of QA Solutions Sp. z o.o. for certification activities.