I work currently in confectionary/chocolate manufacturing for a small company. We are a private label company currently and are working through product development to launch our own brand, with a current SQF Certification. Our procurement efforts lead us down a path where we have to spot purchase inclusion and topping ingredients due to minimum order quantities (MOQ), think candy, cookies, sprinkles, etc. Where I am struggling is with the approved supplier program as online retailers and suppliers are being used, that do not have relative documentation other than general specs, with no food safety certificate, etc. I've been creating internal specs and referencing FDA hazards as the main focus, however want to put this out to see what others have done or would do.
I've worked for larger manufacturers prior to this role so a new space to be in compliance wise as it was a GFSI Cert, GMP Audit, Food Safety Survey, and/or onsite audit otherwise we would not purchase. Full disclaimer that the top management has stated that there is no way around online spot purchasing as we wouldn't be able to afford the loss of bringing in large loads of materials from more reputable sources.
Any assistance, knowledge base, or guidance is greatly appreciated, many thanks!