Can we validate our incoming raw materials by testing?

Dear all,

Lol I just got into work...

Are you going for a particular food safety standard like SQF, FSSC, etc?

If you are then your going to need more from you suppliers like a questionnaire on things like their system, programs, recalls, etc.  You'll want a 3rd party inspection certificate.

If you're not going for a food safety standard then you can do that if you want but then it's all on you to find any problems with the materials.

It can also depend on what your making and what products your using.  What is your product and ingredients?

Please don't BUMP your own topic, especially after such a short wait.  Most of our members are just waking up and getting into work. All posts are answered in due course and those that take a little longer are bumped and answered by the forum staff.

Lol I just got into work...

 

Are you going for a particular food safety standard like SQF, FSSC, etc?

 

If you are then your going to need more from you suppliers like a questionnaire on things like their system, programs, recalls, etc.  You'll want a 3rd party inspection certificate.

 

If you're not going for a food safety standard then you can do that if you want but then it's all on you to find any problems with the materials.

 

It can also depend on what your making and what products your using.  What is your product and ingredients?

We're going for a FSA, which may take us to FSSC 22000 or something less like "okay, we can take your product". We work with Cashew Nuts and sunflower oil

I'm not sure if this is a dumb question so I'm going to my best to just put it out there: Are your Cashew Nuts "manufactured" or do you directly receive them from an agricultural source.

The sunflower oil I'm sure is manufactured and an FSSC inspector will want to see that you did your due diligence in approving them as a supplier (supplier questionnaire, last 3rd party audit, etc).

I'm not the most knowledgeable person in the world on FSSC 22000 but we just went through our audit and it seemed like agricultural raw ingredients (we use wheat) he didn't ask anything about so I might think your nuts might be ok unless they are rendered into a product by another manufacturing facility.

Perhaps someone with a little more experience can expound on this topic further.

We roast raw nuts in sunflower oil... you could be right about the raw nut...tks

Your welcome

Nuts are not my exact area of expertise, however it is an agricultural product.  Whether you are getting from the grower directly or through a distributor or  broker, would think you will want paperwork confirming that correct agricultural practices were used such as clean water, proper chemicals that sort of thing. 

That is a good point I don't currently deal with all of our paperwork all I know is he didn't ask anything about our wheat.

Of course you can test, but it costs you time and money and if the materials fail then you may not be able to produce and then let your customers down.  

Responsibility (so far as is possible) should rest with suppliers.  You need to qualify suppliers to make sure they have the capability to provide you with consistent product to specification. So yes audit, questionnaire, agreed specifications, certificates of analysis from each batch.  If suppliers cannot provide such and there is a real shortage of proficient suppliers then test for the short term, but you must work with them and to develop their systems and procedures, so they can take on their responsibilities as soon as practical.