Qualimat Association

What Qualimat Association does

Qualimat Association is a French nonprofit professional association founded in 1978 and headquartered in Locminé, France, that serves the animal feed sector by ensuring the nutritional quality and hygiene safety of raw materials. The organization operates through four interlocking commissions: Monitoring (nutritional and hygiene quality of raw materials from supply sites in western France), Transport (third-party certification for road bulk-transport operators covering container cleanliness and traceability), Surveillance (mutualized networks monitoring undesirable substances, including the Qualimat Alerte protocol operationalized in 2012 and updated in 2017), and Amont (on-site technical diagnostics at supplier premises, operational since 2012 with 53 studies completed). Supporting infrastructure includes reference specifications, third-party recognition regulations, and technical position documents, plus a Quality Portal IT platform launched October 1, 2018 and developed with Adventiel (project management) and Optavis (development) for managing analysis results and certification documentation.

The business model is a voluntary membership association funded by member dues from animal feed sector professionals and certification fees from transport operators. Services are distributed through direct member engagement, a network of 13 authorized certifying bodies that audit the 2,300+ certified transport operators, and a self-serve online operator portal. Key commercial assets include mutual recognition agreements with GMP+ International, OVOCOM/FCA, and QS (Qualität und Sicherheit) that make the Qualimat Transport certificate contractually equivalent to the three dominant European feed-safety schemes, alongside participation in the ICRT International Database Transport for Feed.

On December 17, 2024, Qualimat, Oqualim, and Qualimat Sud Ouest formally merged, effective January 1, 2025, creating a unified national French association. The merged entity retains the Qualimat and Oqualim websites pending a unified single site. The association reports 46 years of monitoring experience, 31 years of shared inter-company analysis (since 1994), 57 documented alerts managed since 2012, 41 auditors trained for upstream diagnostics, and a small headcount of 1–10 employees consistent with a lean association staff structure.

Name

Qualimat Association

Legal name

Association Qualimat

Website

https://qualimat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

French nonprofit association founded in 1978 that provides quality monitoring, transport certification, surveillance networks, and upstream diagnostics to ensure nutritional and hygiene safety of raw materials across the animal feed supply chain, serving manufacturers, transport operators, and raw material suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Quality Certification and Safety Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation & Oversight Bodies for Food Safety Certification (ABs/Scheme Owners) (AFALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Testing, Laboratory Oversight & Method Standards (HLAJAEAF), Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA), Animal Feed Safety & Feed Additives Regulation (HLAJAEAK)

Keywords

• Animal feed certification
• Feed safety monitoring
• Bulk transport certification
• Raw material quality assurance
• Feed supply chain hygiene

Headquarters

HQ city

Locminé

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Association operating model based on voluntary membership from animal feed sector professionals. Member companies contribute to fund shared monitoring, surveillance, and quality improvement activities.
2. Certification Fees: Fees collected from transport operators seeking Qualimat Transport certification, including commitment confirmation processing and temporary certificate issuance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Qualimat Association provides quality monitoring, third-party bulk transport certification, surveillance networks, and upstream technical diagnostics for the animal feed sector in France. The organization ensures the nutritional quality and hygiene safety of raw materials used to manufacture animal feed, with more than 2,300 certified transport operators and 13 authorized certifying bodies under its schemes. Services are delivered through four commissions (Monitoring, Transport, Surveillance, Amont) and a dedicated IT Quality Portal, and are aligned with EU Regulation 183/2005 and mutually recognized with European feed safety schemes (GMP+, OVOCOM, QS).

Product overview

Qualimat is a voluntary organization for animal feed sector professionals focused on nutritional quality and hygiene safety of raw materials. The organization operates through four main commissions: Monitoring (raw material quality monitoring from supply sites), Transport (certification for bulk transport operators preserving hygiene quality), Surveillance (networks for undesirable substance monitoring and alert management via Qualimat Alerte protocol), and Amont (on-site technical diagnostics at suppliers). Supporting infrastructure includes a Quality Portal IT system launched in 2018, reference documentation (specifications, regulations, technical positions), and directories of certified transport operators and declared cleaning stations. The association merged with Oqualim and Qualimat Sud Ouest on January 1, 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualimat Monitoring Ongoing monitoring of the nutritional and hygiene quality of raw materials from supply sites in western France, for compound feed manufacturers and animal nutrition producers who need documented quality assurance across their supplier base.
• Qualimat Transport Certification Third-party certification of road transport operators of bulk animal feed materials and compound feed, focused on container cleanliness and traceability, mutually recognized with GMP+, OVOCOM, and QS schemes, and required under EU Regulation 183/2005.
• Qualimat Surveillance Mutualized surveillance networks monitoring undesirable substances in raw materials, including Salmonella control plans and mycotoxin and pesticide surveys, for compound feed manufacturers and member companies.
• Qualimat Amont Upstream Diagnostics On-site technical diagnostic service delivered at raw material suppliers' premises to identify mastered points and improvement actions for the nutritional and hygiene quality of raw materials, for compound feed manufacturers and their supply sites.
• Qualimat Alerte Protocol Industry-wide early-warning protocol for managing analytical signal alerts related to undesirable substances, including contamination events, available to member companies in the animal feed sector.
• Quality Portal (Portail Qualité Nutrition Animale) IT quality portal for managing quality analysis results and certification documentation across the animal feed supply chain, accessible to member companies and certified operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 57 documented alerts managed since 2012 through Qualimat Alerte protocol
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OqualimcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Merged with Oqualim on January 1, 2025, combining two major animal feed quality organizations into a unified association with national scope. The merger was completed December 17, 2024.
• Qualimat Sud OuestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Merged with Qualimat Sud Ouest on January 1, 2025, expanding the association's territorial coverage to fully national scope.
• GMP+ InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual recognition agreement for transport certification. The Qualimat Transport certificate scope is equivalent to GMP+ certification, allowing operators to use either certificate when required by contracts.
• FCA-OvocomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual recognition agreement for feed safety certification between European schemes. Operators can use Qualimat Transport certification when contracts require OVOCOM/FCA compliance.
• QS (Qualität und Sicherheit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual recognition agreement with German feed certification scheme QS. Allows cross-recognition of transport certifications between schemes.
• ICRT (International Database Transport for Feed)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational committee creating common database of minimum cleaning levels for goods transported in feed sector. Created in 2013 with participation from European certification schemes.
• SecureFeedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch partner organization for feed safety. Exchanges conducted on mutual knowledge of tools serving sanitary security in the feed sector.
• Mutual AuditminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench partner organization with which exchanges on quality approaches and mutual tool knowledge are conducted.
• Bureau VeritasminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccompanied Qualimat Amont in developing reference documents from 2011-2014.
• DGAl (Direction Générale de l'Alimentation)coreOthersFrench competent authority for animal feed sector regulation. Transport operators must register with DGAl under EU Regulation 183/2005 to obtain Qualimat Transport certification.
• AFSCAcoreOthersBelgian competent authority for feed sector. Belgian transport operators must register with AFSCA under EU Regulation 183/2005 for Qualimat certification.
• RMT Al-ChimieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional working groups and industry research initiatives in which Qualimat participates.
• CSA-GTPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality reference with which exchanges conducted for alignment of upstream diagnostic methodology.
• GTP CoceralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean trade association reference with which exchanges conducted for upstream diagnostic approach alignment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FEFAC (European Feed Manufacturers' Federation): Pan-European trade association representing the compound feed manufacturing industry. Broader in scope than Qualimat (lobbying, sustainability, EU policy) but addresses the same downstream member base and overlaps in feed safety standard-setting.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) major. Bureau Veritas is one of the 13 authorized certifying bodies for Qualimat Transport and is far broader, bundling feed certification into a much larger food and agri portfolio.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification major with an extensive food and feed assurance practice. Competes with Qualimat for feed safety certification work at the international level and can leverage scale and geographic reach Qualimat cannot match.

Direct peers

• GMP+ International: Dutch-based international feed safety assurance scheme with mutual recognition of Qualimat Transport certificates. Operates the largest animal feed certification scheme globally, with a comparable member-and-auditor model and similar scope of feed safety, hygiene, and transport coverage.
• SecureFeed: Dutch feed safety organization that exchanges knowledge with Qualimat on tools serving sanitary security in the feed sector. Operates a comparable voluntary assurance model for compound feed producers in the Netherlands.
• Oqualim: French feed safety management association that merged with Qualimat on January 1, 2025. Operates Feed Safety Management certification for animal feed manufacturers, directly overlapping with Qualimat's mission and member base prior to the merger.
• OVOCOM (Feed Chain Alliance / FCA): Belgian feed safety scheme (now Feed Chain Alliance) with a mutual recognition agreement with Qualimat. Covers feed manufacturers, transporters, and storage operators under a similar third-party-certified assurance model, making it the most direct Benelux peer.
• EFISC-GTP: European feed ingredient safety certification scheme, listed as a Qualimat partner. Targets EU feed ingredient suppliers and manufacturers with a voluntary, third-party-audited certification model that overlaps materially with Qualimat's Amont and Monitoring commissions.
• CSA-GTP: French reference framework for animal feed safety and traceability, listed as a Qualimat partner for alignment of upstream diagnostic methodology. Serves the same French feed manufacturer and supplier base with a comparable voluntary certification approach.
• QS (Qualität und Sicherheit): German cross-stage quality assurance scheme covering feed, meat, and food, with mutual recognition of Qualimat Transport. Targets a similar member base of feed manufacturers and transport operators, but operates at materially larger scale across Germany and beyond.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qualimat Association