What is the best method of verifying the temperature of liquid sauces at receiving and shipping?

Hello! I work for a company that up until now has only ever worked with dry ingredients.

We are developing liquid sauces and I am having trouble figuring out what level of temperature verification at shipping and receiving is necessary. As we cannot know the validation for the hottest point in every truck, how can I train our employees at shipping and receiving on how to be sure the ingredients we are receiving were transported at suitable temperatures? Should they take the temperature of several different points in the truck? Should they also take the temperature of the product/ingredient itself? Would it be ok to only take the temperature of the outside of the box, or should they also open to take the temperature of the product itself?

(also same questions for shipping finished product requiring refrigeration and/or frozen).

I am really not sure how far to take this. Could I get away with simply having the supplier sign a letter of guarantee stating transportation conditions will be suitable, and not check at all?

If anyone has any experience with what level of monitoring an SQF auditor would expect I would really appreciate it!

Thank you!

My take is: To monitor temperature during transit i would suggest have your suppliers send products with Temperature monitoring devices. Recycle them at the end of a defined period(send them back to supplier to re-calibrate and re-use). Could be part of your quality agreement/business agreement with supplier.

For temperature monitoring at receiving, you could use a temperature gun to take temperature at three points of the trailer of e.g for an average. No need to open the product for temperature validation.

is your facility temperature controlled? No need for shipping temperature if yes.

You need to see what is the best temperature the product should be at during storage and transportation. 

Then see at what temperature to control the surroundings at to achieve that temperature of the product. Shall it be stored at what? 50 degrees? 60? 

Have the temperature monitoring devices record that temperature inside the trucks, you can place them in different areas. Once the truck arrives, check it and see if it is the proper temperature to store the product at during transportation. 

Due to the nature of the product, I believe that is  a good way. As we did this previously and auditors were okay.

If you have frozen/cooled fish or liquid eggs for example, you would wanna check that product by placing the thermometer inside upon arrival. But your product is liquid sauces. Not so risky. (assuming this will affect the quality and not safety).

 

 

I am really not sure how far to take this. Could I get away with simply having the supplier sign a letter of guarantee stating transportation conditions will be suitable, and not check at all?

 

I would not. Signing letters does nothing but letting the supplier get away with their product being accepted by you regardless of trucking conditions (Since you won't be checking). They'll think they can send you bad product because"  oh they won't check it" so let's send this and get away with it because we signed this with them" Always check your product upon arrival regardless! 

My take is: To monitor temperature during transit i would suggest have your suppliers send products with Temperature monitoring devices. Recycle them at the end of a defined period(send them back to supplier to re-calibrate and re-use). Could be part of your quality agreement/business agreement with supplier.

 

For temperature monitoring at receiving, you could use a temperature gun to take temperature at three points of the trailer of e.g for an average. No need to open the product for temperature validation.

is your facility temperature controlled? No need for shipping temperature if yes.

Thank you very much! Our facility is not temperature controlled. We have a lot of fridge and freezer space built recently for this new line, but the environment at shipping is room temperature. I imagine I would have to do some validation that the time it takes to get the products to the truck from the refrigerator does not put the products at risk (and same for ingredients being received and transferred to fridges).

 By shipping temperature do you mean the temperature of the truck being used to ship, the temperature of the product being shipped, or both?

Hello! I work for a company that up until now has only ever worked with dry ingredients.

 

We are developing liquid sauces and I am having trouble figuring out what level of temperature verification at shipping and receiving is necessary. As we cannot know the validation for the hottest point in every truck, how can I train our employees at shipping and receiving on how to be sure the ingredients we are receiving were transported at suitable temperatures? Should they take the temperature of several different points in the truck?

 

>Yes.

 

Should they also take the temperature of the product/ingredient itself?

 

>Yes

 

Would it be ok to only take the temperature of the outside of the box.

 

>NO.

 

 

or should they also open to take the temperature of the product itself?

 

>Yes

 

(also same questions for shipping finished product requiring refrigeration and/or frozen).

 

I am really not sure how far to take this. Could I get away with simply having the supplier sign a letter of guarantee stating transportation conditions will be suitable, and not check at all?

 

>The supplier will not give you a letter such as this as they have no way of monitoring in - transit --- except for:  Your company can require temperature monitors be placed in the side-walls of the shipping container, sides, top, etc. 

> you still need to check on receipt.

 

If anyone has any experience with what level of monitoring an SQF auditor would expect I would really appreciate it!

 

> former SQF Auditor and I would expect all of the above with full documentation to back it all up.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

Thank you very much! Would it be acceptable to have the person receiving choose the points on the truck to take the temperature at random? Or would it be a normal thing for me to request our transport company for validation documents of the warmest point in the truck?

Thank you very much! Would it be acceptable to have the person receiving choose the points on the truck to take the temperature at random? Or would it be a normal thing for me to request our transport company for validation documents of the warmest point in the truck?

The "normal" thing is to establish a procedure that your receivers are to follow for taking temperatures  - documented - trained and followed with temperatures noted using properly calibrated measuring devices.

The "normal" thing is to establish a procedure that your receivers are to follow for taking temperatures  - documented - trained and followed with temperatures noted using properly calibrated measuring devices.

I am sorry, my question was not really clear. I do realise I need a documented procedure that the employees are trained on, as well as calibrated instruments.

It is more about exactly where to train employee to take the temperature. All 8 corners of the truck? Several places they can select at random based on their own judgement? A validated 'warmest spot' I would need to somehow determine?

Thank you for your help everyone!