Guide to using Third Party Warehouses to satisfy SQF requirements?
Hello,
Our business is SQF level 2 certified. We have a third party warehouse who is not SQF certified. We have conducted an audit to perform a risk assessment, but was curious if anyone else uses third party warehouses and what guidelines used to satisfy SQF requirements?
You might checkout the BRC Storage and Distribution Standard which will define guidelines for risk assessing and auditing 3rd party warehouse facilities.
George
The IFS Logistic standard is quite similar to BRC Storage and Distribution and can be downloaded for free from the IFS site.
http://www.ifs-certi...s/ifs-logistics
I do not know the SQF standard myself, but I am sure that it includes requirements related to storage/warehouses. If the audit at your third party warehouse is demonstrable based on these requirements and if you have a 'contract' with your third party storage, indicating the requirements from the standard, you will probably be fine.
I am up against the same issue - we have a warehouse that holds our products that is not audited by any outside source (they pretty much store our stuff exclusively). Our products are not considered high risk and are stored at room temperature.
As I can not expect to pull them up to SQF standards overnight I am writing an audit guideline based on basic AIB standards. I do not expect them to have all the programs in place right away - but thought I would give them an action list based on risk and return every 3-6 months until they have all in place.
I will check out the referenced sites to see if I can find any checklists - as that would be most helpful. :biggrin:
Depending of the activities performed by the external warehousing company, they could fall under clause 2.3.3 or 2.3.4 or both. As long as your specifications for the service include all requirements needed to prevent food safety issues you will be fine. I think you are on the right way completing your internal audit to approve the supplier. In my point of view IFC, BRC and other standard will give you ideas on what must be included in your internal audit. But just consider that SQF expects to see what are your requirements for this supplier and how you evaluate the supplier (clause 2.4.5). That's it. Hope it helps.
We are in the same situation. We were told that the 3rd warehouse is a service provider and you have to control them the same as any other service provider - risk analysis in your HACCP plan, agreed specifications (including food safety practices) sent to them, criteria for approving them as a supplier, review of their approval status, etc.
Thank you all for your help!
They are subject to audit and would need to follow your requirements for contract service providers. Better yet, tell them to get certified under SQF, BRC, IFS, etc.
They are subject to audit and would need to follow your requirements for contract service providers. Better yet, tell them to get certified under SQF, BRC, IFS, etc.
Yes, totally agree. In addition, consolidated warehousing, of food products from different accredited suppliers, is subject to food safety audits. A colleague's warehouse, whose business is export consolidation, follows CODEX:GWP and HACCP and recently renewed their certificate from a third-party certifier. BRC is also being asked of them by some clients.
i completely agree with the above statement and yes BRC is also asked by clients and it is very important some time.