Need help with complaint for high yeast in a liquid Veggie product

Hello All,

So we recently got a complaint for High Yeast in a liquid Veggie product. It is very hard to determine root cause or corrective action.

1. We tested internally and by 3rd party 3 other samples from the same batch-no issues within spec

2. Product is created in a multi step kill process temperatures exceeding 110 C for up to 60 minutes.

My only issue is the broker/vendor took samples for testing. We do not know the conditions of their warehouse, lab, etc. Liquid Sample was sent to lab in a Whirl Pack-i wouldve use sterile cup not a bag for liquid. We cannot return product due to export/import issues from Canada back into USA.

Due we take the loss? Or fight back?

Any help would be great.

Hello All,

So we recently got a complaint for High Yeast in a liquid Veggie product. It is very hard to determine root cause or corrective action.

1. We tested internally and by 3rd party 3 other samples from the same batch-no issues within spec

2. Product is created in a multi step kill process temperatures exceeding 110 C for up to 60 minutes.

My only issue is the broker/vendor took samples for testing. We do not know the conditions of their warehouse, lab, etc. Liquid Sample was sent to lab in a Whirl Pack-i wouldve use sterile cup not a bag for liquid. We cannot return product due to export/import issues from Canada back into USA.

Due we take the loss? Or fight back?

Any help would be great.

 

Hi Quality,

 

You will probably need to supply some numbers to get meaningful comments.

 

But offhand, as I'm sure you know already, it's rather improbable that yeast will survive 110degC/60min.

 

Suggests some later contamination has occurred (somewhere) if "substantial" levels are implicated.

 

Production Records ??

We hot fill at temperatures above 85 C. USDA appendix states 72 C is instaneous kill.

My point exactly- I believe they contaminated sample as they opened product in their facility. Production and Haccp records are all reviewed no issues..

This was a small batch and 3 ofher samples were taken from our stock and we found all within spec.

So my dilemma is really do we take loss on the product to tell them it's their fault

This is really a business decision.  How big is the customer?  When a large customer complains it really is up to the company whether they want to be right or keep the business and how good your relationship is.  Worked for a company that supplied Walmart and we were sending a fresh product in that they kept wanting credit for and because they were a big piece of our business we kept giving it to them.  How we solved it was to send salesmen in to call on the store at the time of delivery and they would stay busy in the store for a period of time then when they left, would note the time and that the product was still sitting on a hot dock.