Warehouse Food Safety Inspections - What standards should we expect?
We produce bread and rolls and have many independent distributors that get our product to stores and restaurants. These independent distributors are essentially their own business - we deliver product to their warehouse (I use that term loosely) where they then pick it up and distribute it. They are not employee's of the company I work for and their warehouse is rented and paid for by them. We have started doing food safety inspections on these warehouses - we provide guidance on what we are looking for and have set certain expectations as to what is considered acceptable. This has been difficult to achieve compliance, and we aren't in a position to just say we won't deliver to you. We aren't sure if our expectations are too high and that is why we are having difficulties, or what. I don't have much (ok, any!) experience with warehouses and independent distributors, so am not sure what the expectations should be.
For example, we have some places that are a storage unit in a large building of storage units. We require pest control - which they include in the particular unit we use, but not around the whole building (the distributor is only renting the unit and doesn't have a say in what the landlord does). Is it necessary to have pest control around the outside of the building? Is the corridor from the main entrance to the actual unit being used considered as part of the inspection?
Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated!!
i think yes, you must control all potential rodent and pest that have potentially to harm your product
1. you can do risk assesment, mapping all potential rodent & pest
2. risk assesment rodent and pest track
3. find the best methode for eliminate rodent & pest
4. keep monitoring and analyse rodent & pest finding probably in monthly
5. the most important keep your GWP/GMP in good condition, also PRP
Thanks for the response - but what if the warehouse isn't owned or even rented by our company? We have distributors who we just deliver product to. The warehouse is essentially there's, usually by renting it from someone else. Most come back that the landlord isn't permitting any rodent traps on the exterior. How should those situations be handled? When we audit them, should we expect to find a robust pest management system, or just the minimum needed - as long as no evidence of activity is found? What about a 'shared dock'? Do we audit the cleanliness of that if 20 other individuals are using it for their deliveries?
Perhaps the best way to answer this question is with a question. What is the liability to your company if people get their bread or rolls with a rodent, rodent droppings or a pest?