European and national legislation lay down a wide variety of rules with which poultry farmers and processors have to comply.

Several EU member states have private quality schemes in place. They ensure their members are compliant with EU and national legislation and lay down additional requirements, which go beyond those laid down in law.

The IKB system

In the Netherlands, this is the Integral Chain Control (IKB).

Participation to the scheme is voluntary, but not without conditions. The scheme lays down sets of requirements for every part of the production chain, from hatcheries and breeding farms till meat processors.

Official certifying institutions visit the companies at least once a year to check for compliance. After a successful inspection, companies receive a certificate that is valid for a year.