Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

Style guide for theQS certification mark

Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

Introduction The QS certification mark is a mark of conformity which is protected by trademark law as property of QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH under the German Patent and Trade Mark Office and the Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market.

QS scheme participants, certification bodies, laboratories and other partners of the QS scheme can use the QS certification mark in accordance with this style guide, insofar as these participants and partners have been expressly granted permission to use the QS certification mark.

Authorized users can use the QS certification mark on products, bills of delivery and papers accompanying goods. It may also be used on marketing materials, packaging materials, letter paper and similar commercial documentation without direct reference to a product.

With the publication of this style guide, QS has hereby made changes to the appearance of the QS certification mark in order to directly target consumers. Printable files are available to authorized users via the LOGIN area for certification mark users at www.q-s.de. Continued usage of the previous QS certification mark is also permitted.

QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH

Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

The QS certification markMeaning

The QS certification mark stands for QS. Quality Scheme for Food. The stages in the circle represent the cross-stage process and manufacture assurance, while the arrow stands for movement toward a common goal: Quality Assurance. Safe food from the farmer to the counter.

The QS certification mark shows the cross-stage quality assurance on the product, as only those foods which have been manufactured and placed on the market in accordance with the QS scheme bear the QS certification mark.

Authorized users

Scheme participants, certification bodies, laboratories and other partners in the QS scheme are authorized to use the QS certification mark, insofar as these participants and partners have been expressly granted permission to use the certification mark in a contract with QS (scheme agreement, framework agreement) or through an agreement with their coordinator.

Usage

Authorized users can use the QS certification mark

on products, bills of delivery and papers accompanying goods. Use with reference to specific products is restricted to products which have been produced or placed on the market by QS scheme participants in accordance with the requirements of the QS scheme.

on marketing materials, packaging materials, letter paper and similar commercial

documentation without direct reference to a product

Use for commercial purposes is permitted as long as the identity of the authorized user of the QS certification mark is made clear.

The use of the QS certification mark for commercial purposes must be absolutely clear to avoid any misleading interpretations. In the graphical layout of the commercial presen-tation, care must be taken to ensure that the QS certification mark is only used in connec-tion with those products or services with which the authorized user is associated in the QS scheme.

... in co-branding

The QS certification mark can also be used together with logos, promotional symbols and other symbols (co-branding).

The QS certification mark must not be distorted or altered in any other way if it is used in combination with other logos or symbols. It is also forbidden to register the certification mark as part of a separate trademark.

Where the QS certification mark is used together with further statements regarding a pro-duct, any misleading messages or representations must be avoided. In particular, it must be clear that the QS certification mark does not encompass any further advertising messages regarding the product or service.

Marketing materials, packaging materials, letter paper and similar commercial do-cumentation with the QS certification mark must be submitted to QS for approval before printing or production. The authorized user shall bear the responsibility for the legal innocuousness of the use for commercial purposes.

The obligation to present documentation to QS for approval is intended to prevent cost-intensive production of incorrect documents.

Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

Presentation

The QS certification mark must always be presented as follows, regardless of the background on products, goods packaging, commercial documentation, letter paper and all other items:

In general, the blue certification mark with color gradient is used on a white background with a frame. The caption reads QS. Ihr Prüfsystem für Lebensmittel.

The minimum height for all uses of the QS certification mark is 1.5 cm. The certification mark must not be alte-red. It is not permitted to use either individual elements (such as the circle or the caption) or make alterations within the certification mark. It is also forbidden to pre-sent the QS certification mark in a form that is stret-ched, compressed or otherwise deformed, as can occur when altering the size, for example.

QS reserves the right to present the QS certification mark without a frame.

The QS certification mark without gradient may only be used for produc-tion procedures which do not have the capability to show color gradients (halftoning, thermal transfer printing, embroidery, pad printing).

The following specifications apply to the coloring of the QS certification mark:

Full tone CMYK (Euro scale) RGBPantone 2935 100% C 10HKS 44 50 % M 80 0 % Y 161 0 % K

The QS certification mark may only be used in black and white in exceptional circumstances. This applies to both the QS certification mark with gradient and the QS certi-fication mark without gradient.

Special approval must be acquired from QS to us the certification mark in black and white format.

In English-speaking territories, the QS certification mark can also be used in English, in accordance with this style guide.

Use of the certification mark in other languages is

subject to written approval from QS.

QS certification mark, blue with color gradient

QS certification mark, blue without color gradient

QS certification mark, English

QS certification mark, b/w with gradient

QS certification mark, b/w wit-hout gradient

1,5

cm

Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

Files for printing

Printable files can be downloaded from Company/Organization > QS certification mark on our website at www.q-s.de. Authorized certification mark users are granted access to the LOGIN area by QS after signing a contract or upon request.

Scheme participants who have been expressly granted permission to use the QS certification mark through agreement with the coordinator will receive printable files from their coordina-tor. They do not have access to the download area of the QS website.

Quality Assurance. From farm to shop.

Contact data:For all queries regarding use of the certification mark, please contact:

QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH Schedestraße 1-353113 Bonn, GermanyTelephone: +49 (0)228 35068 - 222Fax: +49 (0)228 35068 - 10E-Mail: certificationmark@q-s.de