Quality Meat Scotland

Quality Meat Scotland
Agency overview
Formed	1990
Type	Executive non-departmental public body
Jurisdiction	Scotland
Headquarters	Rural Centre, West Mains, Ingliston, Newbridge
Employees	28 (Q1 2022)
Agency executives	Kate Rowell, Chair; Sarah Millar, Chief Executive;
Website	www.qmscotland.co.uk

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.^[1] It promotes the red meat sector and markets the Protected Geographical Indication Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb brands.

It was set up in 1990 as the Scottish Quality Beef & Lamb Association to provide assurance to industry and consumers that animals produced for the food chain met certain standards.^[3] In 2000 it was renamed to Quality Meat Scotland and in 2008 it was established on a statutory basis replacing the Meat and Livestock Commission.^[4]

Controversies

In 2021, covert footage was shot at a high welfare farm owned by Philip Sleigh, the chairman of the pig standard-setting committee at Quality Meat Scotland. Footage showed farmers hammering pigs to death, weak piglets being slammed into concrete floors and pigs with severe untreated prolapses. Animal Equality UK said "Rubbing shoulders with government officials and accreditation reps, Philip Sleigh was entrusted with a position of power, yet his own farm breached the very standards he helped set".^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b "National public bodies directory - Executive non-departmental public bodies". Scottish Government. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Our Board". Quality Meat Scotland. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ "Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Assurance Scheme - Cattle and Sheep". SFQC (Scottish Food Quality Certification Ltd). Retrieved 24 September 2014.
^ Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, section 91; Quality Meat Scotland Order 2008.
^ "Pigs hammered to death at 'high-welfare' farm". The Independent. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2022.