SQF Lv. 2 Shelf-Life Necessary?
Hello All,
I notice in the SQF code (2.3.1.3), that shelf life studies should be done where necessary. We are currently working for our initial SQF certification and are starting from scratch. We make poultry feed and the feed is delivered to laying houses just down the road. The feed is made and consumed within 48 hours, it never sits long enough to even settle in the bins. At the very longest, a load of feed (25 tons) will last 3 days before total consumption. Do we need a shelf-life study run, being that the code makes it sound like it may not always be necessary? Thank you all in advance for the help!
How can you ensure it's at most 3 days before consumed? Is it bagged? What if an older bag keeps getting piled on by new bags? Someday it's found, finding no credible expiration date it gets used and mold toxin harms the chickens that ate it... What if feed is returned to the supplier and it's needed for rework? Just a couple questions I can see an auditor asking <I know nothing of chicken feed mills>
How can you ensure it's at most 3 days before consumed? Is it bagged? What if an older bag keeps getting piled on by new bags? Someday it's found, finding no credible expiration date it gets used and mold toxin harms the chickens that ate it... What if feed is returned to the supplier and it's needed for rework? Just a couple questions I can see an auditor asking <I know nothing of chicken feed mills>
Each barn has upwards of 300,000 birds, eating 30 tons of feed per day and that is all we deliver to them per day. So the bins more times than not go empty. Also, we do not rework any products and this is documented in our policy handbook. Our poultry nutritionalist and veterinarian don't allow for rework of our products based on possible medication inclusions into different formulations of feed.
Also, it's not bagged, it's delivered on bulk semi dump trucks or auger run trucks free loaded into storage bins that feed directly to the birds
Hopefully other feed people will chime in, I would want documentation of attributes (specifications)/analysis, etc. of the feed to prove it lasts at least 3 days. Maybe you don't need a full-blown shelf life study.
This wouldn't be a bad idea actually. Thanks for the input RMAV! Not sure there's too many feed people on here, I wonder sometimes!
Hi dwells,
I also know almost nothing about feed production processes.
i do know that historically some feed materials have been notorious regarding onward transmission of Salmonella.
Do you have a haccp plan for yr process ? is there a thermal elimination step ?
Is the finished product micro.tested ?
Shelf lives are evaluated regarding one of 2 options - safety or quality. The choice depends on the perceived risk.