Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Are distributors required to be audited?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

Taste Maker

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 42 posts
  • 10 thanks
1
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Memphis, TN

Posted 13 November 2014 - 04:08 PM

Looking at my complaint log I have found about half involve issues with product that is being stored in a distributor's warehouse. That being said, before I go asking for the last audit information, is there any requirement that they have audits by a third party as there is for all vendors?



RG3

    Grade - PIFSQN

  • IFSQN Principal
  • 501 posts
  • 169 thanks
76
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them" Albert Einstein

Posted 13 November 2014 - 04:54 PM

This is a good question. In fact, I had gotten a nonconformance for tertiary packaging material because I don't have a third party audit from them and I haven't audited them. I understand the auditors point but he doesn't see mine when I deal with close to 100 different packaging with 10 distributors and I see tertiary as low risk, and as you will see on this forum it gets very subjective on where or who should the information come from the DC's or the actual manufacturer i.e. audits, specs, CoC's, LoG's. I would say your best bet is to go to the DC where everything is consolidated "line your ducks up in a row". If things are ok there move on to the manufacturers. 2.4.5.5 for SQF. I'm not sure about AIB.



Snookie

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,625 posts
  • 267 thanks
174
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 13 November 2014 - 05:03 PM

Whether it is a requirement or not, with this many issues, it needs to be addressed.  Whether by a third party audit or an audit by you, and I would be inclined to say an audit by you may be warranted as there are so many problems.  You need to demonstrate you have caught the issue, addressed the issue and resolved it. 


Posted Image
Live Long & Prosper

Setanta

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,599 posts
  • 369 thanks
383
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female
  • Interests:Reading: historical fiction, fantasy, Sci-Fi
    Movies
    Gardening
    Birding

Posted 13 November 2014 - 05:12 PM

We ask for a third party audit from our cold storage facilities.  This just ensures that our product is kept to the standards we made it by,


-Setanta         

 

 

 


nd01ken

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 22 posts
  • 11 thanks
4
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Baltimore, MD
  • Interests:College Sports, Wood Working, MS Access Databases, Software diddling, Coaching Softball, Basketball, and most of all being a father of 4.

Posted 13 November 2014 - 11:16 PM

We use AIB for the GMP audit as a distributor. This confirms everything from receiving to the shipment of the product to the customer, including cleaning plans, temperature monitoring, documentation, prerequisite programs and more. It is an advantage to have our facilities audited, it makes sure we are staying ahead of the curve. 

 

Some of our customers have an outside auditor visit and check our facilities also, this could be an option for you. 



RG3

    Grade - PIFSQN

  • IFSQN Principal
  • 501 posts
  • 169 thanks
76
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them" Albert Einstein

Posted 14 November 2014 - 12:34 AM

:welcome: nd01ken

 

I would agree that a DC does not have to be as extensive as a GFSI audit is. I would focus more on Pest Control, GMP's, training of GMP's, Building Conditions, and maybe even a Disaster Recovery Program.



Snookie

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,625 posts
  • 267 thanks
174
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 14 November 2014 - 07:24 PM

Looking at my complaint log I have found about half involve issues with product that is being stored in a distributor's warehouse.

 

No offense guys when 1/2 the problems are out of one warehouse.....its time to go take a look.....and not rely on an audit that may have happened before the problems or didn't catch them. 


Posted Image
Live Long & Prosper

CMHeywood

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 457 posts
  • 119 thanks
42
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Neenah, Wisconsin

Posted 20 November 2014 - 09:22 PM

Yes, either you or a 3rd party has to do an audit and document the results, the requested corrective actions, and proof that the corrections are working.



Tony-C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 4,223 posts
  • 1288 thanks
608
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:World
  • Interests:My main interests are sports particularly football, pool, scuba diving, skiing and ten pin bowling.

Posted 21 November 2014 - 11:34 AM

Looking at my complaint log I have found about half involve issues with product that is being stored in a distributor's warehouse. That being said, before I go asking for the last audit information, is there any requirement that they have audits by a third party as there is for all vendors?

 

Hi Taste Maker,

 

Normally requirements are based on risk.

 

Generally I would want to have them audited distributors by someone within your company or require the distributor to have certification to a recognized standard such as BRC Global Standard for Storage and Distribution Issue 2 or SQF Code Food Sector Category 26 Food Wholesaling and Distribution.

 

Either way as Snookie has said I would be wanting to 'pay them a visit' given they are a source of 50% of your problems.

 

Regards,

 

Tony



Myusername

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 48 posts
  • 14 thanks
10
Good

  • Canada
    Canada

Posted 21 November 2014 - 04:02 PM

Any supplier of a service or product has to be approved and meet the requirements of you food safety system.

 

What sort of complaints, what severity? environmental damage? forklift damage?

 

what the total amount of complaints that you have? if you have 2 complaints and they caused one, maybe not an issue or did they cause 250 out of 500?

 

They supply a service, does your supplier approval program require them to be audited?

Since they cause 50% of your complaints there should have been a corrective action on this already requiring them to get their game together or drop them depending on the type of complaints they cause.

this is an interesting topic.


 





Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users