Non Conforming Product - employees bringing it home

Good Day

I have observed in many facilities now; where non conforming product (poor quality, does not pose a food safety risk)  employees bringing finished product home. 

What are some policies you have set for this practice.  Is it documented?  

What I have seen is documentation as non conforming finished product as waste, but really has gone home with employees.

Thanks

Is the product  company owned  or is it privated label product?

Privately owned.

Some products not say meeting quality criteria I've seen sold through staff sales but records are kept and the product is safe, perhaps just not of the desired appearance.  It shouldn't be recorded as waste but then actually taken home and for your brand's reputation, any branding should be removed or permanently defaced.  Things like this have a habit of turning up on market stalls.

I have to aggree with GMO. Nonconforming classification would not be the correct term to you. I would "scrap" it due to quality issue and document the disposition. Labels/ identifing marking to the company should be removed, before it is given away.

Edit:

You might want to check contract/agreement. Standard practice for private label produced product is to destory the product.

We allow a lmited number to go home with full time employees, but they do not have any labels. They are less than perfect due to cosmetic reasons, not food safety issues.

Setanta

The best recommenation is to treat all product that leaves the facility the same - as a product for consumption. Traceability needs to be maintained (at least to the general level - i.e. "employee giveaway", not necessarily to the indiviual employee or "donation to food bank X") so that full accountability is maintained. All product should have a specification, even downgraded product, so that it is clear what defects are allowed.

The other consideration is the impact on complaint data - if you are allowing substandard (according to first pass criteria) out of the faciity, and it makes its way into general trade (i.e. an employee is given substandard product and they give it to a friend) will it result in complaints or brand damage?

Lat but not least, especially for giveaway of substandard product, are there rules about qualtities or furnther use, for example could an employee take the product and resell it into the retail environment?

It is definatly not waste, even if it si going to non standard uses (like animal feed).

Everythign that leaves the facility should be either waste (i.e. going to landfill or recycling) or a product, no matter if it is first pass quality or something less.

John

I agree.

If it goes out with full time employees, it cannot be considered waste nor can it go unaccounted for.

bkim

We do have a sign off sheet where employees record what and how many they are taking, so that waste is recorded and accounted for.

Absolutely under no circumstances do we allow this.  Our policy is zero egress on sub-par goods, namely because of possible package branding and also what we produce is a major food allergen.  Anything leaving as "samples" are approved as finished goods with proper documentation. Sampling in house is allowed and encouraged but only with wholesome product and under supervision.

Hi all,

as long the produts is "fit for human consumption" and it is not a private label product (exception: agreement available) it is possible to sell such products as "second choice" using special roots or the give it to employees. Tracebility has to be ensured. Here is a difference between "waste" and placing a product onto the market which a gift belongs to.

Regards

moskito