Looking for an example Raw and Packaging Materials Register

Good Morning everybody,

I have been requested by my consultant to create a Raw and Packaging Materials Register for our upcoming SQF Certification that we are working towards, does anyone have an example of a format that they are using that I could see? For some reason I am drawing a total blank on where to start. Thanks so much!

Hello, Rose.

I incorporated my raw and packaging materials register with my Approved Supplier register. See attached. Basically, you list the supplier, the item they are approved to supply, contact name, and contact number. I also store the spec sheets for each suppliers approved products with their approved supplier questionnaire and approval documentation.

I hope this helps!

Hopefully the attachment works this time.

I appreciate that thanks! I thought that might be what I needed but I wasn't sure how much detail needed to go into it, I am having a hard time getting the information from my suppliers on ingredients, additives, etc, because they say it is proprietary to their company. have you dealt with this issue at all?

I have, especially with spice companies. I suggest offering to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding their formulas based on needing to have that information in order to do business with them because of the SQF code. I have only had one company not want to do that so far. Good luck!

I appreciate that thanks! I thought that might be what I needed but I wasn't sure how much detail needed to go into it, I am having a hard time getting the information from my suppliers on ingredients, additives, etc, because they say it is proprietary to their company. have you dealt with this issue at all?

Everyone IMEX has to deal with this issue. And occasionally lose suppliers in the process.

I appreciate that thanks! I thought that might be what I needed but I wasn't sure how much detail needed to go into it, I am having a hard time getting the information from my suppliers on ingredients, additives, etc, because they say it is proprietary to their company. have you dealt with this issue at all?

I agree with Charles, in that everyone deals with this issue.

We recently completed getting the specifications from each of 156 suppliers for a seafood company.  The client had never asked for them before, nor audits, etc.

The final email sent out the ones that said they would not share simply stated ...

"Our company in the process of assembling and reviewing this information from each of our suppliers as this is a requirement in order for our company to get SQF Certification.

Once we have SQF Certification we'll be able to stay in business and in all likihood gain new business - which means in turn that we will buy more product from your company.

We can not allow your company to undermine our SQF Certification, thus if it is not your intent to send us what we as your customer ask you for, we will drop your company as our supplier and seek an alternate company that values our business.

Do you understand?

If you don't send us what we have requested by DATE XXX we will go ahead and de-list your company as a supplier and never buy from your company again."

...............

Dang thing worked!!!

Good Morning everybody,

 

I have been requested by my consultant to create a Raw and Packaging Materials Register for our upcoming SQF Certification that we are working towards, does anyone have an example of a format that they are using that I could see? For some reason I am drawing a total blank on where to start. Thanks so much!

When working with a previous storage & distributor aiming for BRC certification, I made them an Excel file to comply with the 'supplier approval' section of the standard, and keep organised too. It was essentially a sheet with a list of the suppliers doing downwarsd, and with rows inbetween for each product bought. The across I had columns with dates for specifiations, HACCP, SAQs, accreditation certificates, other certs, plus anything else relevant. You can then use conditional formatting to automatically highlight dates that have passed, or are near to expiry, so you can look down the sheet and at a glance see if there are any certificates that have expired or specs almost X number of years old, and ask the supplier for updated documents, rather than manually looking at the dates and risk missing some. Maybe someone will suggest a more efficient/better way - admittedly I'm no PC whizz and there probably are cleverer thing to be done - but that worked well for me.

In terms of suppliers not willingly providing all the information you like, yes that is a common thing. Back then I had about 320 suppliers, and towards the end of the database being set up I gave a list of around 20 to the head of purchasing for him to put on the commercial pressure. A few complied after that but several we did simply stop using them and change to another supplier.

I have a massive excel file with different tabs for example; Approved Suppliers, Raw Materials, Finished Goods, and Packaging (among others..). Anyways, I attached a screen shot for your reference. I like excel because it is easy to work in and organize the information needed. 

Hi Rose

I have attached my Approved Supplier Register Template as a guide. You will find 3 worksheets - 1) Raw Materials, 2) Packaging, 3) Supplier Review & some may add for Services.

On the Raw Materials - you will notice that it is quite extensive and was based on the info collated from PIFs. You may delete those info that is not of risk to your business e.g. I tracked Organic certifications because our finished goods are all organic certified. I also added columns on Last knowm manufacturer (for brokers), Food Fraud & Traceability exercise with suppliers to comply with BRC Food Safety Standard.

Hope this helps

Hello Rose,

We simply use an excel that simply lists each of our raw and packing materials out (1 row per item), and we only list internal item#, item description, supplier, location, and any additional notes.

This worked for us for our SQF audit, but there are lots of ways to accomplish this and as some have suggested, it can also be combined with other registers such as finished product registers, approved supplier registers, etc. and can also link to applicable specification sheets.

I would stick to excel and use the table format for any register of this type though.

-David

Hi Rose

 

I have attached my Approved Supplier Register Template as a guide. You will find 3 worksheets - 1) Raw Materials, 2) Packaging, 3) Supplier Review & some may add for Services.

 

On the Raw Materials - you will notice that it is quite extensive and was based on the info collated from PIFs. You may delete those info that is not of risk to your business e.g. I tracked Organic certifications because our finished goods are all organic certified. I also added columns on Last knowm manufacturer (for brokers), Food Fraud & Traceability exercise with suppliers to comply with BRC Food Safety Standard.

 

Hope this helps

Hi Ives,

Thanks for yr useful template.

I noticed the parameter "Quality" in yr Supplier Evaluation sheet. This seems somewhat ambiguous, some indication of Lot Acceptance Performance might be helpful.

PS - What does "NOP"  stand for ?

PPS - What is the scoring procedure for the supplier review ?

We are fortunate enough to have real time inventory and a live accounting / inventory system that allows me to write reports for any and every thing we have, or have had, in house. During our annual recert. audit I write a current report of all raw materials, all inventory and packaging / peripherals on hand. Then I run a history report that lists specs for all materials used for as far back as I need (usually 3 years) then a list off all specs for all products produced in the last 3 years. This serves as our Raw and Packaging Materials Register It takes about 5 minutes and demonstrates control and recall of any material or FG information immediately. The traceability test during our audit usually takes less than 5 minutes total and our annual mock recall is always under 10 minutes total. Makes everyone's job a lot easier!

PS - What does "NOP"  stand for ?

National Organic Program. Established by (US) Congress in 2001, this federal regulatory program develops and enforces uniform national standards for organically-produced agricultural products sold in the United States. AKA Organic bible in the states.

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of the help and advice that I have received on this topic! I have not created the template that I will be using based off of all of the great information you guys gave me, thanks so much! I am fairly lucky it sounds like that we are a bottled water plant so we have a short amount of suppliers that we use (1 for preforms and caps, one for labels, one for shrink wrap, and we own the spring that we pull our water from). I would hate to have as many suppliers as some of you have talked about! Props to you guys for all of your hard work :-)