7 replies to this topic

[oahr1996]

Hello,

 

What documents and other requirements do you require from your suppliers? My company currently requires annual document updates of a letter of guarantee, HACCP flow chart, FDA food facility registration, GFSI third party certificate, GFSI third party audit report, allergen statement, non-GMO certificate or statement, kosher certificate or statement, halal certificate or statement, product specification, external laboratory reports, questionnaire, and a country of origin statement. Then biannually the supplier must undergo a virtual audit. 

 

Are all of these documents necessary? What do other companies require from there supplier? Do other companies perform virtual audits along with documentation audits?

Edited by oahr1996, 26 February 2026 - 08:41 PM.

[Danny123]

I end up having to complete these customer requests and have seen them as basic as a one page questionnaire to as complicated as 18page questionnaire and 20+ supporting documents. I have never done a virtual audit, usually just a repeat of documentation every other year. 

[oahr1996]

The required questionnaire we have is 40 pages long. So it is that plus all the other documents I mentioned above.

[Danny123]

The required questionnaire we have is 40 pages long. So it is that plus all the other documents I mentioned above.

Not sure what field you are in but a 40 page questionnaire is a bit excessive in my opinion.  

[GMO]

That's ridiculous. But people ask for it without really questioning the efficacy of their own processes sometimes.

Always challenge. Also point out that some GFSI schemes, e.g. BRCGS allow you to link through the directory which is a far more secure way of obtaining certification evidence.

 

The rest I think there's an element of risk (yes GFSI doesn't go far enough in my view) and an element of excessive paperwork in what they're doing. As for the biannual remote audit AS WELL? WTAF?

 

Ultimately it depends on how important this customer is but in one company we started costing the technical requirements of our customers. It focused minds. So then commercial would price accordingly for how much work we had to do. The theory was we could then man to do the work or push back if they wanted cheaper prices. Fact was we never got the additional manning which was BS and one of the reasons I left but it was a good idea in principle.

 

When so many food business are trying to save cost right now, I'd push this back through your commercial team. This is a huge cost saving for them as well if they drop some of these excessive requirements. Because everything you send needs to be checked, followed up, asked for etc etc. That's probably 2 people a year on all of their suppliers when 1 or even part of one FTE would suffice.

 

All that most customers should need is a specification and your GFSI with potentially some certification where relevant, e.g. Halal, Kosher, SMETA etc. Only if determined to be very high risk or there are unclear elements would I then do any audits.

[MDaleDDF]

My suppliers mostly send more than I ever look at, so I don't have a list of requirements.   3rd party audit certificate, support paperwork if that item is non gmo/halal, etc.   I'm not interested in seeing their HACCP plan, etc.

I always find it hilarious when a company wants a GFSI certificate from another, then ask for all the stuff you have to have in order to GET a GFSI certificate.    If they have their cert, pretty sure they have a valid and functioning haccp plan, it's part and parcel of the deal.    One of the initial ideas of HAVING a GFSI cert was it was going to stop all this insanity.   You'd see the cert and know they were good to go.   Now everyone want to see every document in someone's building again....

However, we did just do a co-packing thing, and I requested to see their path WI and a few other things.   But I consider that a different situation.

 

Some of this may be able to be justified depending on your product, how dangerous it is, etc though.   I try not to judge as I don't know what other people's products and processes are.

 

[Scampi]

regulatory license

gfsi audit expiration / cert

LONO (if available)

SDS

Spec

Allergen statement

PFAS declaration

LOG

[Bo16]

Definitely not a one size fits all question

Registration, GFSI and the audit or at minimum the findings with CAPAs. Letter of Guarantee, Insurance,  For products the list gets longer.....

If GFSI report is sent, review for traceability, HACP/Food Safety Plan review, Product Security and Food Defense Plan, Product Authenticity/Food Fraud Plan and GMPs.  

IF not report:  documentation of all of the above.  

 

Also need packaging information, Halal, Kosher, GMO, allergen, Prop 65, WADA, EFSA, Organic ... what you claim/need

Regulatory requirements:  List of Countries approved, GRAS, EFSA, other country documentation

 

Technical Data sheets (where and at what does it is approved)

 

Audits based on Risk:  Recalls, returned goods, high risk country, quality issues, Historical quality of the vendor...  

Is it a food, packaging component (primary, secondary etc.) we do some every 2 years, some we haven't done a full audit in 10 years.

 

This really depends on the food you are manufacturing and the ingredients you are buying.