BRC v7 supplier approval

Hi

I am going to have a BRC audit to V7 standard early next year and am working on the changes to the suppliers and vulnerability assessments.  If a supplier is deemed high risk, would it be enough for them to have a 3rd party audit report? Do we have to audit them ourselves? It says that we need to approve based on risk and include questionnaires, GFSI certification or supplier audits. I know if it is a low risk supplier that the questionnaires are enough.

thanks!
Janice

hi 

on 3.5.1.2 

report from 3rd  party audit that you initiate  ( "outsourced" supplier audit ... 2 party audit ) ? 

or 

any 3rd part audit report that supplier might have at hand ? 

Hi

 

I am going to have a BRC audit to V7 standard early next year and am working on the changes to the suppliers and vulnerability assessments.  If a supplier is deemed high risk, would it be enough for them to have a 3rd party audit report? Do we have to audit them ourselves? It says that we need to approve based on risk and include questionnaires, GFSI certification or supplier audits. I know if it is a low risk supplier that the questionnaires are enough.

 

thanks!
Janice

Hi Janice, 

As per standard "The approval and monitoring procedure shall be based on risk and can include one or a combination of GFSI recognized standard and supplier audit". So clearly you can have only 3rd party certificate for a GFSI endorsed food safety system as your basis of approval. 

Having said that IMEX you can also approve suppliers based on historic evidence e.g Quality / Complaints from past shipments, Recalls etc. In our organization we approve high risk suppliers based on historical evidence like ten good loads. Of course we base it on the bedrock of risk analysis and out auditors did not have any problem so far. 

Also IMO I have always found the statement that Suppliers are High Risk very misleading since at 3.5.1.1 we conduct a risk assessment for raw materials and not the supplier themselves. In the subsequent clause we document a plan to approve suppliers and by that logic our suppliers can only be approved or unapproved. Essentially I can have a supplier who is supplying me high risk, medium risk & low risk ingredients..... What then? Is my supplier high risk, medium risk & low risk all at once...This confuses me.  :headhurts:

Hope this helps. 

Thanks, 

Sagar J. 

Hi Janice,

i suspect yr OP may be a little optimistic with respect to BRC's expectations.

Can have a look at these threads -

http://www.ifsqn.com...ent/#entry78837

http://www.ifsqn.com...ier/#entry86732

http://www.ifsqn.com...ssessment-help/

The vulnerability aspect is discussed elsewhere.