SQF requirement for letter of guarantee/certificate of conformance from suppliers?

Hi all,

  Our current contracts with our suppliers (both ingredient and packaging) has verbiage in it regarding that they will meet our requirements, specifications, which I'm told covers our Letter of Guarantee/certificate of conformance from the suppliers.  Does anyone know if this accurate?  I don't want to get hit with a non conformance due to this.  

Does the SQF code require a separate document?  I'm unable to determine. 

Thanks in advance!

Krissy 

To answer your question:

Does the SQF code require a separate document? No, not as long as you have a document which covers their requirements. Check out the guidance docs to get ideas on what the auditor will be looking for.

One thing to ask yourself, do the contracts list those 'requirements' in detail when it comes to what you require of them for food safety? 

If the contract just states in a simple sentence something along the lines of 'you will do what we want you to do' then it's pretty tenuous. If it is a more robust and lists out some things your FSP requires of suppliers (you agree you have received X document of requirements and agree to abide by them is one I've used) then you are more defensible. This is especially the case if you explain this approach in your approved supplier program/policy document.

Short answer - no.

You do of course need mutually agreed upon specifications, we had a client who did not want to do this and bam, come audit time it was an issue - now he is in line.

Thanks for the response. That was what I was thinking but wanted to confirm.  I appreciate it!