FSQA Snippets: Suppliers

Often manufacturers understand their base, core component well but forget that what they add to it to create niche food products in the marketplace is equally important.  Substandard suppliers pose a significant risk to food processors.  Having reliable, high-quality/food safety driven suppliers is critical to a food company’s product consistency and success.  It also assures compliance with Regulatory/GFSI standards and can prevent recalls due to undeclared sub-components and allergens or other food safety issues.

Important elements include:

• Quality - flavor, texture, color and nutritional value of the finished product

• Supply Chain Reliability - prevents expensive downtime costs

• Innovation - new ingredients as a complement to an R&D department’s offerings to their customers

• Food Safety - ingredient suppliers have strong foreign material/microbiological systems that reduce risk to their customers

• Temperature controls - suppliers of sensitive ingredients should have adequate temperature controls to preserve quality (spoilage avoidance) and maintain food safety (microbiological)

• Traceability – ability to trace components through their process and onto their customers to allow rapid traceability should a recall occur

Unfortunately, many finished product recalls occur for undeclared allergens from suppliers (typically from their suppliers) which means efficacy in this area is critical.

For more information or assistance, please go to my website: FFS

It would be my honor to serve your company.

Steve