Shetland’s seafood industry thrives on a clear commitment to quality, and it guards this approach jealously and rigorously.

SSQC is an independent quality assurance organisation which was initially formed to maintain and strengthen Shetland’s reputation for high quality seafood products.

Today, SSQC is Shetland’s first line defence for product quality and a specialist in time-critical services, enabling quality issues to be identified and dealt with as soon as possible.

Services include microbiological and chemical testing (with UKAS accreditation for a range of tests), hygiene testing e.g. environmental/product swabs, product testing and shelf-life testing.

The highly experienced Inspectorate Service team have been working alongside the seafood industry to improve quality since 1985.

The service has expanded and developed to include other areas of industry including third-party auditing and HACCP development.

In its work, SSQC carries out regular random visits throughout the Shetland seafood industry and collects samples for full laboratory analysis to maintain quality standards.

SSQC provides:

• full testing services for all Shetland seafood produce at UKAS accredited laboratory facilities
• continual monitoring of the catches at Shetland’s modern, chilled fish markets to ensure rigorous quality control practices
• regular monitoring of aquaculture facilities, processors and packing stations to ensure that proper quality management is maintained.