Food safety requirements for a distributor?
I have been tasked with supplier validation and have been requesting documents and a completed questionnaire from all of our current suppliers. One of our suppliers, a distributor, has no HACCP plan, no SSOPs, no employee hygiene program, no food hygiene/safety training, no allergen control program, no supplier approval program, and no auditing. Is this normal for a distributor? If not, how is this company getting away with this? They have been in business for a hundred years, how are they getting through state audits with not even a hygiene program?
What do they distribute? Do they hold stock themselves, or use an external warehouse? It could be that they subcontract the whole process out.
They distribute popped popcorn, raw peanuts, pecans, cashews, etc. They hold the stock themselves.
They distribute popped popcorn, raw peanuts, pecans, cashews, etc. They hold the stock themselves.
Hmm...allergen control is an issue. Certainly SSOPs for identifying spills along with a mitigation plan would seem necessary. If package in package (i.e. sealed bags in cartons) and if no temp control I could understand no CCPs, but training in Food Safety/Defense and Allergen management looks like a shortfall. Do they have any kind of Food Safety 3rd party audit like AIP, GDP or FDA inspection. If not, they should.
Hmm...allergen control is an issue. Certainly SSOPs for identifying spills along with a mitigation plan would seem necessary. If package in package (i.e. sealed bags in cartons) and if no temp control I could understand no CCPs, but training in Food Safety/Defense and Allergen management looks like a shortfall. Do they have any kind of Food Safety 3rd party audit like AIP, GDP or FDA inspection. If not, they should.
Nope, nothing like that. Very concerning. Any advice besides "don't use them as a supplier"?
Nope, nothing like that. Very concerning. Any advice besides "don't use them as a supplier"?
I really don't see you can do business without these minimums. I wonder if they have heard of the FSMA. I can only see them compliant if under a qualified exemption (under $500k in sales). Are they a small distributor?
Check out SQF. It has a program for food wholesaling and distribution. SQF will place that type of business in food sector category 26 which lists Modules 2 and 12 as the applicable SQF Code modules. Module 12 has specific Good Distribution Practices (GDP) that relate directly to a food distribution center. Module 2 is about the core system elements required for SQF certification. www.sqfi.com
Good luck!
Check out SQF. It has a program for food wholesaling and distribution. SQF will place that type of business in food sector category 26 which lists Modules 2 and 12 as the applicable SQF Code modules. Module 12 has specific Good Distribution Practices (GDP) that relate directly to a food distribution center. Module 2 is about the core system elements required for SQF certification. www.sqfi.com
Good luck!
Reading more than the title may be beneficial next time! We are not a distributor, rather I am asking what requirements are required for one as one of our suppliers (a distributor) seems to have no food safety controls in place. Thanks for your input nonetheless :p
Yeah - I read your post. My suggestion was for your supplier to adopt SQF, not you. But first you should take a look at it so you know what you will be talking about when you contact your distributor.