EIT Food Assessment is a body based at the Knowledge and Innovation Centre EIT Food. As part of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology Food, we are traditionally committed to quality, research and innovation. With our customer orientation, expertise, independence and impartiality, we are an attractive business partner for all interested companies, institutions and authorities. We ensure non-discriminatory access to the services of the EIT Food Assessment for all customers.

The customer is at the centre of all efforts. Therefore, the quality of our services is understood from the customer’s point of view. It encompasses satisfaction with our certification, monitoring of certificates and other services. We ensure transparent, comparable and independent proof of skills at the state of the art in science and technology and increase the labour market attractiveness of our individual clients.

The definitions of responsibilities and processes for all quality-relevant activities, as well as their monitoring for effectiveness, are documented in the Quality Management Handbook (QMH). The QMH is binding for all persons directly or indirectly involved in the provision of services by EIT Food Assessment. The QMH applies without restriction to all procedures of  EIT Food Assessment.

The activities of EIT Food Assessment are not subject to any instructions from the EIT Food or other authorised representatives but take place free of instructions and independently exclusively on the basis of the guidelines laid down in the QMH. The certification staff of  EIT Food Assessment perform their duties objectively, impartially and fairly. All processes are continuously reviewed by the certification staff for the existence of any conflicts of interest.

All persons involved in the certification process are obliged to make conflicts of interest transparent. Doubtful cases are addressed in advance if possible, but in any case as early as possible. This is done by notifying the head of EIT Food Assessment. The head of EIT Food Assessment decides on further measures.

All employees of EIT Food Assessment are bound to secrecy in accordance with the relevant laws and legal bases. Client-specific information that comes to the knowledge of the staff in connection with their work may not be disclosed to third parties (without the prior consent of the publisher), even after leaving the employment of EIT Food Assessment.

EIT Food Assessment as well as its staff are obliged to take appropriate measures (including technical measures) to protect the confidential information of clients from access by unauthorized third parties. This also applies to the assessors and members of the expert committees who are appointed and work on behalf of EIT Food Assessment. The appointment and membership obliges to keep examination questions and means of examination secret from third parties.

All employees of the EIT Food Assessment Certification Authority and persons involved in the certification process sign an appropriate declaration of compliance with the guidelines on impartiality, confidentiality and non-disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.