Nonconformance for can of unopened soda found in walk in refrigerator
Our walk in refrigerator holds finished product (beverages) and ingredients to make other beverages. Let's say an employee decides to put a can of unopened soda that is not manufactured in our facility in the walk in refrigerator. Would the can of soda be grounds for non conformance with a GMP Audit or Costco Audit?
if so, then what differentiates a can of soda being in a refrigerator compared to other ingredients that are stored in the refer?
Any experience in this?
Hi KevinKT,
Is soda listed amongst (and therefore risk assessed) within your Raw Material / supplier program? That would be the biggest difference...it is 'uncontrolled' and therefore an unknown risk.
I agree that an unopened can of soda poses little risk - but realistically there should be a separate area for staff food and drinks.
My feeling is that if you start trying to assess risk based on each type of item that a staff member may put in the fridge then your heading down a slippery slope. Best to draw a line.
Our walk in refrigerator holds finished product (beverages) and ingredients to make other beverages. Let's say an employee decides to put a can of unopened soda that is not manufactured in our facility in the walk in refrigerator. Would the can of soda be grounds for non conformance with a GMP Audit or Costco Audit?
if so, then what differentiates a can of soda being in a refrigerator compared to other ingredients that are stored in the refer?
Any experience in this?
I conceptually agree with previous post.
This is one reason why "unilateral" Policies/Procedures exist. To help avoid self-implosions due hypothetical nightmares. :smile:
Hopefully you have a SOP covering use of refrigerator.
Hopefully it includes that contents within are restricted to "ABC", eg as per yr OP.
Accordingly an actual event such as you hypothesise (?) would then suggest a little re-training as a root cause/corrective action.
Your GMPs / FSMS should prohibit any foods outside of break area(s) and soda is a food, open or otherwise, not to mention god knows where it's been and what's on it. The potential is always going to be the focus. Looking at this from my perspective, it would look to me like an employee knowingly broke the rule to have a nice cold drink in the cooler where no one could see him. he just didn't have the chance to open it yet. I might be more cynical than the next guy, but it shows that either you have no rule to prohibit food in production or food storage areas (likely a Major NC) or you lack the necessary control to monitor all areas of operation appropriately (minor NC). I'm not throwing stones here believe me, we still struggle with the annoying little nonconformances all the time here.
Yes I totally agree that it is an issue with management. I appreciate and respect you folks taking a hard stance on these issues. Thank you for your opinions. We will discuss this at our next safety meeting.
When I was an Auditor I walked into a refrigerator and sitting on the rack was 2 cans of coke, unopened.
They were written up for personal item - gmp violation, etc.
It could have been worse - the manager I seem to remember started stumbling saying that he was pretty sure there must be a specification for this - there was not.
During one of my first SQF audits, an inspector asked me to open a locked shipping/receiving desk and found a six-pack of Heineken way in the back. We got a minor for sure.
I guess you never know when you're going to need to "Grab a Heinney" :rofl2: