Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1040 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 3 

 Date Issued: 07/14/09

 

VERIFICATION FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION 

HIGH QUALITY BEEF QUOTA

1 Purpose

This document outlines the procedure to verify that cattle and beef carcasses have met the 

requirements of the European Union (EU) High Quality Beef (HQB) quota as defined in European 

Commission Regulation No. 620/2009, Annex 1.

2 Scope

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock and Poultry Program, Quality Assessment

Division (QAD) conducts the verification activities for the EU HQB quota. 

3 References

European Commission Regulation No. 620/2009, Annex 1, Requirements for products under the tariff 

quota referred to in Article 1(1) 

QAD 1001 Procedure: USDA Process Verified Program

QAD 1013C Form: AMS Statement of Verification for High Quality Beef

QAD 1040 Procedure: Livestock Feeding Claims Audit Program 

QAD 1040A Form: AMS Declaration of Carcass Evaluation 

Official Listing of Approved Sources of Non-Hormone Treated Cattle 

Official United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef 

FSIS Form 2630-9: Certificate of Authenticity

4 Responsibilities

4.1 The QAD is responsible for the following:

a) Conducting audits of the USDA-approved service providers and feedlots in accordance 

with QAD 1001 Procedure and/or QAD 1040 Procedure. The audits verify feeding 

practices and rations to ensure conformance to the EU HQB quota. 

b) Verifying feeding practices and records to ensure conformance to the EU HQB quota. 

c) Issuing QAD 1013C Form for cattle and beef carcasses that conform to the EU HQB 

quota. 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1040 Procedure

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 3

Date Issued: 07/14/09

4.2 QAD employees conduct evaluations of carcasses intended for use under the EU HQB quota.

4.3 Harvest facilities are responsible for the following:

a) Submitting documents and records, including a copy of the signed QAD 1040A Form,

to the QAD to verify conformance to the EU HQB quota;

b) Providing the QAD 1040A Form to QAD employees prior to carcasses being evaluated;

and

c) Providing the signed QAD 1013C Form to the USDA, Food Safety Inspection Service 

(FSIS) employee to facilitate the signing of the FSIS Form: 2630-9.

4.4 USDA, FSIS employees are responsible for signing the FSIS Form: 2630-9.

5 Procedures (Sections 5.1 through 5.4)

5.1 General Requirements

5.1.1 Cattle must be from a USDA-approved NHTC Program, as listed on the Official Listing 

of Approved Sources of Non-Hormone Treated Cattle, as well as a USDA approved 

Livestock Feeding Claims Audit Program, as listed on the Official Listing of Approved 

Companies to the Livestock Feeding Claims Audit Program.

5.1.2 Cattle must be verified as conforming to the feeding practices and rations of the EU 

HQB quota in accordance with Section 5.2 below.

5.1.3 All carcasses exported under the EU HQB quota must be evaluated in accordance with 

Section 5.3 below.

5.2 Verification of Feeding Practices and Rations

5.2.1 The QAD receives and reviews documents (e.g. feeding affidavits) on a lot-by-lot basis 

to verify that cattle are derived from a feedlot approved under the QAD 1040 

Procedure. The feedlot may be approved by the QAD or a USDA-approved service 

provider.

5.3 AMS Declaration of Carcass Evaluation

5.3.1 QAD employees evaluate each lot of carcasses intended for use under the EU HQB 

quota. Carcasses are evaluated using the Official United States Standards for Grades of 

Carcass Beef.

5.3.2 QAD employees complete and sign QAD 1040A Form for each lot of carcasses

evaluated.
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1040 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 3 of 3 

Date Issued: 07/14/09

5.3.3 The QAD receives the signed QAD 1040A Form and verifies that carcasses are from 

cattle verified as meeting the feeding practices and rations as outlined in Section 5.2. 

5.4 AMS Statement of Verification

5.4.1 Once cattle and beef carcasses are determined to conform to the EU HQB quota, the 

QAD issues QAD 1013C Form. 

5.4.2 The QAD provides an electronic copy of the signed QAD 1013C Form to the harvest 

facility.

5.4.3 The signed QAD 1013C Form must be presented to the FSIS employee to facilitate the 

signing of FSIS Form: 2630-9. 

___________________________________

Jeff Waite, Branch Chief

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

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