9 replies to this topic

[Nazia Ammad]

Hello everyone, I am working for BRC certification issue 8, we are frozen seafood processors, I need your help for supplier approval procedure, currently I have established a comprehensive procedure and form for approval of ingredients & packaging material suppliers, but when I start sending this form to the suppliers I realized that the suppliers who are not manufacturers and only trading the ingredients are working in very simple system and are not able to understand and fill the form, so can anybody suggest the simple format for auditing and approval of suppliers of ingredients who are not actually manufacturers but are trading the items. for reference I am also attaching the form that I established for suppliers approval. Also, if anyone can share the approval criteria for suppliers of services like laundry, laboratories and waste management contractors. thanks in advance.

[Scampi]

As far as the brokers go, you still need to evaluate the originating facility............push hard for them to send the form to the actual processing plant

 

Then the broker only has to confirm the sanitary conditions (temp/pests/allergens/general clealiness) of the storage warehouse

 

Be very wary of brokers/importers

 

or better yet, if you know who the manufacturer is---go straight to them yourself

[SQFconsultant]

I second Scampi on this and add - I have a client, a major seafood filet and distribution company in the states. When we began work on their supplier program we found over 100 brokers and agents, none of which had a clue about food safety, needed docs, etc - the president of the seafood distributor called each one of them and told them to get their acts together or be dropped - 6 months later we had 60% compliance and 40% were dropped of which about 50% realized it was not a joke and got on board too.

 

So, press them and if no compliance, let them go.

[TimG]

Ok, so this is something I deal with on a daily basis, but from the end of the manufacturer who has distributors as customers. One thing you want to be cognizant of, you are not the customer of the manufacturer. You are a customer of the distribution company. That being said, most of us at the manufacturer level understand that 'customer of customer' questionnaires are going to be a necessary evil. However, if there is a power struggle (i.e. Glens suggestion to 'let them go'), I have no qualms on saying 'Bye Felicia' unless it will damage my relationship with MY customer.

The customer of the customer typically uses a distributor because they can't purchase in the amounts that make it feasible for me to even sell to them. You buy (2/20/200) pallets of product a year from my customer? That's great, we produce about 50 pallets of product, on one line, per day. I don't have the time, nor are we going to invest the resources into hiring someone to fill out your 20 tab, 300 question, 30 document questionnaire.

[Nazia Ammad]

yes I did the same I asked the supplier to get my questionnaire filled by the manufacturer and then I start working on simple format (as suggested by scampi), but I was not sure that whether this will fulfill the BRC requirement or not.

Also, I agreed with TimG, that customers of customer are not normally entertain on priority bases, but lets c, hope for the best. thanks everyone for your responses to my post.

Secondly, as I requested if anyone can share the criteria for other services like laundry, waste management and laboratory testing services for food samples, I know that it varies from industry to industry but it may help me to just get an idea that what should be add in that contract.

[TimG]

Nazia, as long as your questionnaire isn't TOO involved, and you allow time for the manufacturer to complete it, they will most likely take care of it for you. At least that has been my experience and the feedback I have received from industry.

 

If I see a questionnaire originating from Pakistan today, I'll fast track it 

[pHruit]

yes I did the same I asked the supplier to get my questionnaire filled by the manufacturer and then I start working on simple format (as suggested by scampi), but I was not sure that whether this will fulfill the BRC requirement or not.

BRC is very clear on the requirements for this - see clause 3.5.1.5:
Where raw materials (including primary packaging) are purchased from companies that are not the manufacturer, packer or consolidator (e.g. purchased from an agent, broker or wholesaler), the site shall know the identity of the last manufacturer or packer, or for bulk commodity products the consolidation place of the raw material.
Information to enable the approval of the manufacturer, packer or consolidator, as in clauses 3.5.1.1 and 3.5.1.2, shall be obtained from the agent/broker or directly from the supplier, unless the agent/broker is themselves certificated to a BRC Standard (e.g. BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers) or a standard benchmarked by GFSI.

 

This leaves you with very few options other than direct approval of the manufacturer, via the broker/distributor, unless they've got BRC Agents & Brokers, or BRC Storage & Distribution with the traded goods included in scope.

Are the manufacturers themselves certified to any of the GFSI-benchmarked schemes? I'd ask about that before sending a massive questionnaire, as getting a copy of the relevant certificate and any supporting info you need (e.g. allergen policy) would potentially fulfil the requirements of clause 3.5.1.2 and avoid the tussle of trying to get stuff filled out by your suppliers' suppliers.

 

As for labs, a certificate for ISO17025 or an equivalent national scheme should be sufficient.
Is waste disposal subject to any sort of national licensing in Pakistan? If so, evidence of that may suffice - it certainly does in the UK.

Edited by pHruit, 30 July 2021 - 04:14 PM.

[Charles.C]

Hello everyone,

 

I am working for BRC certification issue 8, we are frozen seafood processors, I need your help for supplier approval procedure, currently I have established a comprehensive procedure and form for approval of ingredients & packaging material suppliers, but when I start sending this form to the suppliers I realized that the suppliers who are not manufacturers and only trading the ingredients are working in very simple system and are not able to understand and fill the form, so can anybody suggest the simple format for auditing and approval of suppliers of ingredients who are not actually manufacturers but are trading the items. for reference I am also attaching the form that I established for suppliers approval.

Also, if anyone can share the approval criteria for suppliers of services like laundry, laboratories and waste management contractors. thanks in advance.

 

HI Nazia,

 

As you can see from Post 7, yr SA query is directly and well-answered by the BRC8 Standard.

 

Further info is also provided by the BRC Interp.Guidelines.

 

Similarly for laboratories, laundries.

 

If you do not have a copy of the Standard, It's freely downloadable from the BRC website. The Guidelines do require $$$.

 

PS - as discussed in previous threads here, the BRC requirements do occasionally cause cessation of some ingredient suppliers due inability to get access/adequate responses. It's unfortunately a fact of life.

[Nazia Ammad]

HI Nazia,

 

As you can see from Post 7, yr SA query is directly and well-answered by the BRC8 Standard.

 

Further info is also provided by the BRC Interp.Guidelines.

 

Similarly for laboratories, laundries.

 

If you do not have a copy of the Standard, It's freely downloadable from the BRC website. The Guidelines do require $$$.

 

PS - as discussed in previous threads here, the BRC requirements do occasionally cause cessation of some ingredient suppliers due inability to get access/adequate responses. It's unfortunately a fact of life.

Thank you so much your both replies are very helpful for me and now I am much clear on this clause.

[Nazia Ammad]

Thanks Charles. C, now I am very much clear on this clause