Internal Raw Ingredient Specification for Almonds

Hi All,

I had a desk audit a couple of days ago. The auditor said I had all my finished product specs but did not have any of my raw ingredient specs. What would a raw ingredient spec look like for my almonds? A finished spec including foreign material coming from the field?

If you're purchasing these from a supplier, or even if the supplier is internal, the raw material spec would include parameters you use to accept/reject that supply.

Acceptable/Unacceptable Defects, Container Weights, Receiving temperature (I doubt you condier temps when receiving almonds, but maybe you have other raw ingredients this would be needed for?), size ranges (again, maybe not for almonds, but seen for some raw materials), etc.

Anything you might see on a COA or customer agreement. The spec doesn't have to meet any certain requirements, other than it lists YOUR requirements for the raw material. SQF just wants to see that you have considered the quality and safety of your materials before use, and that your suppliers agree to those considerations. 

Usually Raw ingredient spec is one given to you by your Supplier of that raw ingredient if you buy them from a supplier. I am sure you as a customer has certain expectations of a material when you buy it, as that should all be reflected on the specification sheet.

Hi All,

 

I had a desk audit a couple of days ago. The auditor said I had all my finished product specs but did not have any of my raw ingredient specs. What would a raw ingredient spec look like for my almonds? A finished spec including foreign material coming from the field?

Hi downeygirl,

The basic answer to yr query is that the main quality/safety structure of the RM spec. is usually similar to finished product (FP), eg physical, chemical, micro. (PCM) requirements but adjusted depending on the related characteristics/requirements of the specific item.

It may/may not require details of some FP things like packaging depending on the RM item's presentation eg a pile of vegetables on a truck vs a pallet of packaged frozen fish in a container.

I'm curious how you are currently controlling yr input RM ?. This typically necessitates a list of acceptable PCM data taken from a RM specification.