AMA-Gütesiegel –
AMA Seal of Quality:
Red-white-red
stands for Austria
The AMA-Gütesiegel is a seal of quality and characterises foods of special quality. The country colours in conjunction with the designation of origin show the origin of the raw materials. All quality criteria are checked by independent bodies.
What does the AMA-Gütesiegel stand for?
As an officially recognised quality mark, the AMA seal of quality has a very special significance. The AMA Quality Seal programme is a holistic quality assurance programme.
It covers all stages of food production. From the field or barn to the chiller cabinet in the food trade. In addition, the AMA seal of quality on a product guarantees that the food has been independently inspected.
Tested quality
AMA-Marketing's quality assurance integrates all production, processing and trade stages. It guarantees the safety, quality and traceability of the origin of food and its source products.
AMA-Marketing's quality policy provides for regular assessments and continuous improvements to the quality assurance system. The AMA quality seal helps consumers to find their way around when shopping for food.
Traceable origin
The AMA seal of quality guarantees the traceable origin of food. If a product bears the red-white-red AMA seal of quality, it comes from Austria.
In the case of meat, this means that the animals were born, fed, slaughtered and cut up in Austria.
A comparable regulation of origin applies to milk and dairy products. The animals must live on an Austrian farm and be milked there. The milk must be processed in an Austrian dairy or cheese dairy.
The red-white-red AMA seal of quality is also proof of Austrian origin for fruit, vegetables and eggs.
Independent controls
The AMA Quality Seal inspections cover all product areas and, in the case of food, all stages of the value chain - from agriculture to the food trade.
A quality seal inspection includes on-site inspections of farmers, licence holders and product analyses.
The control system has three levels:
- "Self-inspection" of the AMA Quality Seal farm in accordance with the AMA Quality Seal checklist.
- "External inspection", for example of proper animal husbandry, by an independent, accredited inspection company.
- "Over-inspection" to check the efficiency of the controls and the control system.
Products that can bear the AMA seal of quality
The red-white-red AMA seal of quality may only be awarded to foodstuffs that are produced in Austria according to defined criteria in accordance with the AMA guidelines.
If a company wishes to label a new product for which there are no criteria yet, an application for labelling must be submitted. If this is approved, criteria are drawn up and the product can be labelled.
AMA guidelines currently exist for
- Meat and meat products
- Milk and dairy products
- Eggs and egg products
- Fruit, vegetables and apples
- Flour, bread and pastries
- Fish and fish products
- Flowers and ornamental plants
The AMA seal of quality for our European neighbours
Participation in the AMA Quality Seal programme is open to all member states of the European Union. The guidelines do not differ from the guidelines of the red-white-red AMA seal of quality, the origin is indicated with different colours.
The AMA Seal of Quality Alpine Region
The light blue version of the AMA seal of quality is used to label individual products whose production does not take place exclusively in Austria. Some cheeses, for example, are cut in Germany.
The AMA seal of quality European Union
The blue AMA seal of quality characterises products whose raw materials come from the European Union. Beer producers use this label in years when there is a shortage of domestic malting barley.
AMA seal of quality in figures
Consumers, cold chains, inspections - some figures that provide information about the environment and the work of AMA-Marketing.
AMA Quality Seal inspections
Over 20.000 inspections are carried out every year. This figure includes inspections on farms, audits at licence holders (processing plants such as abattoirs), manufacturers and retailers. Product samples are also included.
Certified farms
There are currently around 50.000 farms participating in the AMA Quality Seal programme.
