While it's not a specific requirement, it can be helpful. In my experience it is rare that they're needed, but it could make a big difference in some situations for your company.
It can be useful to have a sample of product on hand in case there were any complaints about mold growth or other spoilage. If you're holding the product in appropriate storage conditions, that can be helpful in your investigation to determine if the spoilage was due to product formulation/scaling issues or at the customer level for poor storage conditions.
I haven't had this happen personally, but it can be advantageous to be prepared for a customer claiming that product was contaminated or hazardous to health. This example might be out there, but imagine if there was an investigation for food-borne illness that was traced back to a customer's establishment, and your facility by extension was a component. Say, a sandwich or burger. Having a retention sample on hand for analysis could be crucial to either proving your innocence (or guilt). It could be what differentiates the responsible party for the outbreak (manufacturer or the restaurant).
This of course is more helpful for some products over others and I'm sure there's more applicable examples than what I can think of right now. That's the logic behind it.
Has anyone had a positive or negative experience with retention samples?
For me, they can be a pain to keep organized and to regularly dispose of the expired samples. However, I have some peace of mind from knowing I have a sample of everything we've sold in case anything goes horribly wrong.
Edited by julie900, 12 May 2021 - 02:46 PM.