2 replies to this topic

[Heaime1]

Hello,

 

Would someone be able to let me know what kind of QA documents a Frozen Food Broker should provide to their customers? to Suppliers?

What type of QA documents should a Frozen food broker request from their suppliers?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Liz

[SQFconsultant]

It would depend on your Approved Supplier Program - what your specific requirements are - e.g. what documents you want to receive an approve in order for the frozen food distributor to become your supplier and as far as what documents your supplier needs to get from their suppliers it will match up with what your requirements are most times.

[John102]

I see you are in the USA.  FSMA did help us align to some degree on what customers ask for.  I would strongly recommend you take a FSMA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual class based on the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance format.     What you ask of your suppliers should be targeted collect what you provide customers, unless you are running your own quality program and generating your own data.

 

Here is a list I would prepare:  

Product specification and Technical specification (when appropriate)

Continuing guarantee to meet regulatory requirements

Country of Origin

Certificate of analysis showing critical parameters specific to the batch

Most recent GFSI report with corrective actions implemented

General Process flow diagram indicating hazards controls (microbial, foreign material, chemical, etc.)

List of  programs maintained by the supplier with short description such as:

Training

Environmental Monitoring

Pesticide testing

Foreign material control (screens, magnets, metal detection, X-ray)

Microbial control - Add a Validation overview for any micro reduction steps or critical control points

Food Defense

Intentional adulteration

 

Review the FDA documentation here and look at known or reasonably forseeable  hazards for your specific vegetables and your process:  Draft Guidance for Industry Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food: Appendix 1 (January 2024) (fda.gov)

 I see in general frozen vegetables are at risk for pathgenic E.coli, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes.  Most of the chemical hazards are vegetable specific, and the physical hazards are going to be control of food contamination from materials that exist from the farm through processing including items such as cutters, conveyors, etc.  You want to make sure you have programs to address what the FDA has published as a risk to your food.

 

I hope this helps you get started.