Hello,
I have a unique situation. A supplier who my company has been doing business with for many years and whom we started purchasing co-packed jars from, will not supply us with COAs for those jars without a major cost increase. This same supplier however, will send us COAs for any bulk product we receive which we still have to package and sell.
They came to us with the point that nobody else they sell to co-pack needs a COA since they are purchasing an already finished good, and the company takes all risk. We still need to label the product and sell to the public with our name so there is some risk associated at least without the proper contracts signed.
My question is, are we being unreasonable to ask for COAs in this scenario? My policy is we need a COA showing pathogen testing with negative results is necessary for all incoming product. We, in our receiving do not consider the co-pack a finished good since we still have to label. What is the risk? Should we cave in and call it a finished good upon arrival? Is this supplier being shady? They are not looking to bend on the request without a much larger price increase. And if it were up to food safety, that would be an increase we would take. But you know, classic food safety and operations battle here.
Does anyone have any advice or been through a similar situation? I also feel like the traceability access with the current process is slow and puts both of us at risk if a recall were to occur. In the very end of this, I want to cut them as an approved supplier after the in person audit I performed but I am giving a chance to amend findings as we have a long standing relationship.
Thank you,
J