A foodstuff trader may hold stock in its own facility, use a third-party warehouse or purchase from another distributor after receiving an order. The buyer needs to understand that route well enough to assess product control and traceability. A polished catalogue does not reveal who handles the food between the manufacturer and the receiving kitchen.
A foodstuff trader may hold stock in its own facility, use a third-party warehouse or purchase from another distributor after receiving an order. The buyer needs to understand that route well enough to assess product control and traceability. A polished catalogue does not reveal who handles the food between the manufacturer and the receiving kitchen.
Ask the trader to identify its role for the proposed products and the parties responsible for storage and delivery. Establish whether the source is stable or may change between orders. Require notice when a change affects the approved manufacturer, product information or handling arrangement.
The objective is not to collect every commercial detail of the trader's business. It is to identify the parties and records needed to support the particular supply and to investigate a problem if one occurs.
Have the food-safety or quality owner determine the evidence required for the product and route. This may involve document review, an appropriate site assessment or other checks proportionate to the risk. Do not use a general supplier questionnaire as a substitute for the relevant professional assessment.
Ask how the trader controls stock identification, segregation and the conditions relevant to the product. Where another company performs delivery, establish how the trader checks that service and receives information about exceptions.
Use an example lot or delivery record to ask how the trader would identify affected stock and customers. The exercise should reveal the records and responsible contacts, not simply produce a statement that a recall procedure exists.
For example, if a notice concerns one lot of an ingredient, the buyer needs to connect that lot to receipts and remaining stock. A trader that can only identify total monthly sales of the product may not provide the detail the buyer's procedure requires.
Document the products, facilities and delivery model assessed, together with the sources and review date. Keep unresolved questions assigned to an owner before approving the relevant supply. Do not describe the trader as universally approved when the review covered only part of its range.
Revisit the assessment when the trader changes warehouse, transport arrangements or sourcing. A previous successful delivery is useful operating evidence, but it does not establish that a materially different supply route has the same controls or can produce the same traceability records.
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