What do you require from suppliers for bulk repack products?

Hello everyone, 

Just wanted to get an idea of what others require or would require from a supplier if you were receiving product from them which will not be opened, just re-palletized. Currently, I am just requiring a letter of guarantee but not sure if I should be asking for more or maybe I don't even need that. I don't even have specifications on file for those products. Looking for any and all comments, opinions, etc. 

To give you a couple examples, we bring in bulk brand name candy and snacks on pallets like you would see at Costco/Sam's and reconfigure the pallet counts and configuration to meet customers needs then they get shipped out. Or in some cases we bring in those products and place 6 of those unopened boxes within another corrugate box to be shipped to the customer. We would then just be placing a case label on those corrugate boxes. 

Thanks! 

Is there a specific certification standard that you're working to?

This may dictate what the expectations are.
It sounds like these are basically service providers for a warehouse pick/pack type operation, rather than any actual manufacturing.
Do you have specifications for the material prior to the re-palletizing?

Yes, sorry I forgot to include that. We are SQF 8.0 Food Safety Code for Manufacturing. We also manufacture exposed products (mainly a co-manufacturer situation) but this is just another part of our business. For the suppliers of the products we manufacture (exposed products), whether we own the product or the customer owns the product, we require a LOG, 3rd party audit, HACCP, recall program, and kosher if applicable. 

Just wasn't sure then if anything is required for the products that we simply repack/re-palletize and is never exposed. We have been through many SQF audits and it has never been an issue, I think mainly because we are primarily a co-manufacturer but I was just looking to be prepared if it ever did get brought up with a new auditor.  

Thanks!

Allison,

Currently working on-site with a seafood company.

They filet fish and ship live lobsters, crabs, clams, oysters, etc.

They also are basically pass-thru (no product touch, just re-configuring pallets, etc.) distributors for about 200 products from about 100 companies.

We are in process of development today on their Approved Supplier Program and it includes exactly what is called for under SQF as if it were a product that would be opened and touched/manufactured, etc.

The major difference is that our client owns all products coming in - they buy and resell everything and nothing is owned by the customer until received.

I have seen Auditors write it up before, some do, some don't - but I will not have our client face a major on a first time audit, thus we cover more bases than many times are needed, however I can't always foresee what an auditor is going to do, even though I was an SQF Auditor.

That is great insight. I would typically always cover more that what I think is needed as well but coming into this company who has been audited for many years against SQF and didn't have these documents I assumed that was acceptable. It will be easy enough to gain these extra documents from our suppliers and to manage along with the others that we have. 

Thanks a lot!