Becoming a Participant
Modern consumers are demanding and require comprehensive and transparent information on the origin and production of their food products. In this context, KAT is an ideal partner as a pioneer and trendsetter in the modern food industry when it comes to the marketing of eggs from alternative types of husbandry and throughout the process chain.
What Are the Advantages of KAT Membership?
Alongside a guarantee of origin and traceability, the increasing number of social and legal requirements with respect to animal welfare, local sourcing and feedstuff safety are continually gaining in importance. As a member of the KAT system, you are meeting these growing demands: the KAT requirements go beyond the legal criteria, and animal welfare aspects play a central role. KAT also sets high standards with respect to quality and safety. In addition, KAT ensures that all members throughout Europe produce to the same standards, to avoid distortions of competition. As a KAT member, you are part of a complete traceability and quality assurance system and you can therefore offer your business partners and the consumer a credible promise on quality as well as transparency and safety.
We are very pleased that you are interested in KAT membership and have put together the most important information for you here. If you need further information, please contact us.
What Is the Procedure?
To apply for KAT membership or system participant, we ask you to fill in the ONLINE-application form (see column on the right) and send it to the KAT office. You will receive confirmation of your application from us within a few days. Please choose a certification body from the list and contact them to arrange an appointment. For preliminary acceptance, your company will be inspected for adherence to the KAT criteria. When the criteria are confirmed as satisfied, the certification body will issue a certificate and you will receive from KAT your user contract.
This procedure can take approximately 4 to 6 weeks, from the first registration to the first audit and possible corrective work up to final certification. Therefore, we ask you to send your online-application to the KAT office promptly.
Where Can I Find Information?
The information you need and the requirements for participation in KAT system can be found in the current KAT Guidelines, which are available for download by members and system participants from the internal area of the homepage. Parties interested in system participation can get further advice from the KAT office.
When Can I Start Supplying KAT eggs?
After successful audit, you will receive a certificate from the certification body. On receipt of this certificate, you can market the eggs from your laying farm as KAT eggs.
A list of KAT-approved certificationbodies you will find here.
What Does Participation Cost?
For laying farms and rearing farms, we charge on joining a unique entry fee of €0.05 per place for participation in the KAT system. In addition, further costs are incurred for laying farms & rearing farms, for example for analyses and audit fees.
Packing stations, sales outlets/agents and members of the egg products/food industry sector pay on joining a membership fee according to the fee structure of KAT. In addition, annual system fees are charged, which are calculated on the turnover of eggs to food retailers.
Further information on the KAT membership fee structure (in accordance with the resolution of the Members' General Meeting 2016) can be found by members in the internal area of our website.
The costs of independent inspections by the certification bodies, commissioned by members, are billed directly by the certification bodies. The costs of KAT verification audits are charged by KAT through an annual flat audit fee, depending on the type and size of the company.
What If Deficiencies Are Found?
During the audit of your company, the auditor checks adherence to KAT requirements by means of a checklist. If deficiencies are found, you are granted a reasonable period of time for correction, and then a follow-up audit is carried out.