As a buyer in the food industry, you know that food safety is a non-negotiable matter. A single recall can not only be costly but also cause years of reputational damage. Choosing and monitoring suppliers who consistently meet the highest food safety standards is therefore crucial for your business. In this article, we discuss the key aspects of supplier control in the field of food safety, from certifications to audits.
What are the key food safety requirements for suppliers?
The key food safety requirements for suppliers include accredited certifications such as IFS Food or BRC, compliance with EU legislation including EC accreditation, a functioning HACCP system, traceability from raw materials to end product, and regular inspections by recognized bodies such as COKZ. Together, these requirements form the foundation for safe food production.
Within the European Union, suppliers are required to comply with the General Food Regulation (EC) 178/2002, which forms the basis for all food safety legislation. This means that every supplier must have an EC number that demonstrates they comply with European hygiene regulations. For dairy products specifically, each product must bear an oval label with the company number and country name.
In addition to legal requirements, many customers expect additional certifications. GFSI-recognized schemes (Global Food Safety Initiative) such as IFS Food, BRC Global Standards or FSSC 22000 have now become the industry standard. These certifications guarantee that suppliers not only meet legal minimum requirements, but also international best practices in food safety, quality management and process control.
Additional requirements may apply for specific market segments. Think of Halal and Kosher certification for religious target groups, or organic certification for the organic segment. Sustainability certifications such as animal welfare certification are also increasingly being set as basic requirements, especially in sectors where consumers value this.
How do you check if a supplier has the right certificates?
Check certificates by requesting them directly from the supplier, verify validity through online databases of certifying bodies, check the certificate number and scope, verify the expiration date and ask for the latest audit report. Make this part of your standard supplier assessment and repeat the check at least annually.
Start by requesting copies of all relevant certificates during the selection process. Pay specific attention to the certificate number, issuing body, scope (which products and processes are covered), issue date and especially the expiration date. Many certificates are only valid for one to three years and must be renewed regularly.
Most certifying bodies offer online databases where you can verify the validity of certificates. For IFS Food, for example, you can consult the IFS Database, for BRC the BRC Directory. Enter the certificate number or company name to check if the certificate is current and which scope is exactly covered. This prevents you from being confronted with forged or expired certificates.
Also ask for the complete audit report or at least the management summary. This provides insight into any non-conformities identified during the audit and how they were addressed. A supplier who is transparent about their audit results and improvement actions shows commitment to continuous improvement of food safety.
What is the difference between HACCP, BRC and IFS certification?
HACCP is a systematic approach to hazard control and forms the basis of food safety, while BRC and IFS are comprehensive certification standards that integrate HACCP with quality management, product specifications, facilities and personnel policies. BRC comes from the United Kingdom, IFS from Germany and France, but both are internationally recognized by GFSI.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is not a certification per se, but a methodology that is legally required within the EU. It focuses purely on identifying and controlling food safety hazards by establishing critical control points (CCPs) in the production process. Every food producer must have a functioning HACCP system, but this is not always externally certified.
BRC (British Retail Consortium) Global Standards and IFS (International Featured Standards) Food are both comprehensive standards that go much further than just HACCP. They include requirements for senior management commitment, continuous improvement, product authenticity, supplier audits, building and equipment maintenance, personal hygiene, training, and much more. They are complete management systems for food safety and quality.
The practical difference between BRC and IFS is often minimal for suppliers who comply with both. BRC traditionally has a stronger position in Anglo-Saxon countries, while IFS is more dominant in continental Europe. Both standards are recognized by GFSI, meaning they are considered equivalent by most international retailers. For suppliers, this often means they choose the standard that their main customers require.
How often should you conduct supplier audits?
Supplier audits should be conducted at least annually for critical suppliers of high-risk ingredients, semi-annually for new suppliers in the first year, and can be extended to once every two years for proven reliable suppliers of low-risk products. The frequency depends on product risk, supplier performance and any incidents.
The audit frequency should be determined based on a risk analysis. Factors that play a role are the type of product (microbiological risk, allergens), the volume you purchase, the criticality for your end product, historical performance of the supplier, and any complaints or incidents. High-risk ingredients such as fresh dairy, meat or fish require more intensive monitoring than packaging materials, for example.
In addition to planned audits, your system must allow for unplanned audits. These may be necessary after significant changes at the supplier (new production line, change in ownership), after quality incidents, when there are notable trends in complaints, or when certificates are about to expire. Even when a supplier consistently performs excellently, at least an annual desktop audit remains necessary to monitor certificate status and performance indicators.
For international suppliers or when physical audits are not practical, remote audits can offer an alternative. These combine document review, video tours and interviews with key personnel. Although less thorough than physical audits, they can be a valuable tool for regular monitoring between physical visits.
What questions do you ask during a supplier audit?
During a supplier audit, you ask questions about HACCP implementation and CCP monitoring, traceability procedures, allergen management, microbiological controls and testing frequencies, complaint handling, recall procedures, personnel training, and equipment maintenance. Focus on practical demonstrations of procedures, not just paper documentation.
Start with questions about the quality management system: Who is responsible for food safety? How are procedures kept up-to-date? Ask for concrete examples of recent improvements. Have the HACCP plan shown and ask operators on the shop floor about their knowledge of CCPs. A well-implemented system means that employees know why certain controls are critical.
Test traceability by selecting a random production batch and ask to show all relevant information within 30 minutes: raw materials used, production data, quality controls, and where the product went. Ask specifically about allergen management: How are cross-contaminations prevented? How is a recipe change communicated? Review the allergen status of all raw materials.
Investigate the practice behind the procedures. Ask about the last recall exercise: How quickly could product be traced? What lessons were learned? Review training records: When was the last food safety training? How is competence tested? Observe hygiene practices during the tour: Are procedures actually being followed? Go through the microbiological testing schedule: Which pathogens are tested? What happens with deviating results?
What do you do if a supplier does not meet the requirements?
When requirements are not met, you must first assess the severity and risk, communicate directly with the supplier about the shortcomings, establish a time-bound improvement plan, implement temporary measures such as increased incoming inspection, and stop deliveries for critical deviations. Document all steps for your quality system.
The first step is categorizing the deviation. Critical deviations that directly pose food safety risks (such as missing CCP monitoring or serious hygiene problems) require immediate action, possibly including stopping deliveries. Major deviations (such as incomplete documentation or overdue maintenance) require an improvement plan within 30 days. Minor deviations can be addressed within the normal improvement cycle.
Communicate deviations in writing to the supplier with a clear description of what does not comply, why this is a problem, and what you expect. Ask for a root cause analysis and a SMART-formulated action plan with deadlines. For critical suppliers, it can be valuable to work together on improvements rather than immediately switching to another supplier. Possibly offer support in the form of training or best practice sharing.
Implement risk-limiting measures for the interim period. This can mean: increased incoming inspection of products, certificates of analysis for each batch, provisional approval per delivery, or even presence during production. Monitor the progress of the improvement plan closely and conduct a re-audit as soon as the supplier indicates they are ready. Only with demonstrable improvement and new conformity can normal delivery conditions be resumed.
How De Jong Cheese helps with food safety for industrial customers
As a family business with more than 25 years of experience, we at De Jong Cheese understand how important reliable food safety is for industrial processors. Our complete IFS Food certification and EC accreditation (NL Z1977 EU) guarantee that we meet the highest international standards. We are continuously inspected by COKZ and all our milk suppliers are certified through the Kwaligeit chain quality system.
For our industrial partners like Marco, we offer concrete benefits in the field of food safety:
- Complete documentation: All certificates, specifications and safety documentation directly available through our account managers
- Traceability: Complete tracking from milk supplier to end product thanks to our integrated quality system
- Flexible audit opportunities: We welcome supplier audits and offer complete transparency in our processes
- Additional certifications: In addition to IFS Food, we have Halal, Kosher, GMP+ and VLOG certification for specific market requirements
- Consistent quality: Standardized processes and continuous monitoring guarantee stable product specifications
Would you like to know more about how our food safety systems can support your production process? Contact our specialists through our contact page for a personal conversation about your specific requirements. Also check our complete range for foodservice and industry or find more information on our homepage.
Veelgestelde vragen
How do I integrate supplier requirements for food safety into my purchasing contracts?
Include specific clauses about certification requirements, right to audits, reporting obligation for incidents and penalty clauses for non-conformity. Clearly define which certificates must remain valid, set requirements for reaction time during recalls, and stipulate that the supplier must comply with all relevant legislation. Have your legal department review to ensure the clauses are enforceable.
What are the first steps in setting up a supplier evaluation system for food safety?
Start by categorizing your suppliers based on risk (product type, volume, criticality). Develop standard questionnaires and scorecards for different supplier categories. Implement a central system for certificate management with automatic expiration notifications. Train your team in audit skills and ensure clear escalation procedures for deviations.
How do you deal with foreign suppliers who use different certification standards?
First check if their certification is GFSI-recognized, which automatically means equivalence. For non-GFSI standards, request a gap analysis against your own requirements. Consider additional controls such as pre-shipment inspections or analyses by accredited labs. When in doubt, a third-party audit by a local audit firm can provide a solution.
What costs should I budget for effective supplier control on food safety?
Count on $2,000-5,000 per physical audit (depending on location and complexity), $500-1,500 per remote audit, and $5,000-15,000 per year for certificate management software. Add personnel costs: a full-time quality employee can effectively monitor 50-75 suppliers. Additional laboratory tests can cost $100-500 per sample, depending on the requested analyses.
What are common pitfalls in supplier audits that I should avoid?
Avoid only checking paperwork without observing practice. Don’t accept ‘standard’ answers but ask for concrete examples. Don’t plan audits only when it suits the supplier – unplanned visits give a more realistic picture. Don’t focus only on non-conformities but also look at the company culture around food safety.
How do I determine which microbiological tests I should require from my suppliers?
Base your testing program on a risk analysis of the product: identify relevant pathogens, indicator organisms and spoilage causers. Consult legal criteria from Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 as a starting point. For dairy, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli are typical parameters. Adjust frequency based on historical results and adapt for process changes or incidents.
When is it time to switch suppliers due to food safety problems?
Switch immediately for repeated critical deviations without improvement, deliberately misleading about certificate status, or refusal to cooperate with audits. Consider switching for structurally not meeting improvement plans, recurring microbiological deviations, or when the supplier does not invest in necessary upgrades. Document all problems carefully for an objective decision and possible legal follow-up.
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