Peanut Free Area in a Warehouse
Hello all,
We are a 3PL warehousing and transportation company with a number of Food Graded clients. We are SQF certified, and we do handle raw materials, finished products and food graded packaging material over a wide range of Temperature controlled warehousing space.
One of our potential clients showed up asking for a Letter of Guarantee for a "Peanut Free Facility". Here my question is, can we create a separate section in our warehouse (with a partition wall) and declare that specific area as a "peanut Free zone"? As other areas in the warehouse may contain Peanuts and/or tree nuts.
(Please note: we do not open/process any of the received items in any part of our warehouse - we are simply Receiving-storage-shipping kind of business.)
Any of your suggestions would be greatly helpful. I just don't want to reply back to the client with any dumb answers.
Thank you everyone, in advance!!
Can you 100% guarantee that? I mean, would that separate peanut-free zone have exclusive shipping/receiving area, personnel and so on - so, there won't be cross-connection between peanut-free and other goods flows? You see, I'm just thinking: if you issue that LOG and something would ever happen with peanut-free goods (say, peanut-related complain or whatever) - they potentially may sue you. Let's see what others will say...
Thanks much Olenazh,
I really appreciate your response.
Yes, we can have separate shipping-receiving area, separate employee entrance and a separate lunch room - exclusively for peanut-free zone.
The only thing I am wondering is, what should be precautionary measures - if some employees from non-controlled area need to visit the "Peanut Free zone"? Just washing/sanitizing hands would be enough for that?
(we have a common food safety team, and they might need to visit the Peanut free zone - every couple of days)
Thank you..!! :smile:
To be completely safe, your policy should include not only hand washing but changing outfit when visiting peanut-free zone. Your written policy must include all precautionary measures, personnel training, corrective actions, flow charts, and so on to cover your rear end:)
Thanks much Olenazh. I got many of my doubts cleared.
Thanks much once again. :)
I don't see it. It's still in the same facility right? They're asking if your facility is 'peanut free'. It's not.