Methods and tools to establish specifications and approve commodities in food industry

After focusing on finished products and blocking them in the event of non-conformity, the quality assurance approaches of the 1990s placed the emphasis on controlling the various raw materials and products "in process". It seems very difficult to manufacture a compliant product if the upstream inputs are not. This involves characterizing the raw materials, ingredients, packaging, etc. to be used, and drawing up a control plan based on predefined criteria.

One of the principles of Quality Management, initiated in the 2000s by the ISO 9001 standard, refers to "mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers", in order to focus the company on value creation. ISO 22000 "Food Safety Management" emphasizes the need to communicate with customers and suppliers to ensure the production of safe and wholesome food; "communication at all levels of the food chain is essential to ensure the identification and appropriate control of all relevant food safety hazards at each stage of the food chain".

Finally, the "horsemeat" fraud of early 2013 rekindled public distrust of the food industry. Ensuring the conformity of raw materials has become essential for all players: suppliers, manufacturers, customers and consumers. Some inter-professional organizations have published charters to inform and help their members, while supermarkets have modified some of their listing requirements to include the notions of "authenticity" or "risk of fraud or adulteration" for products purchased by their suppliers.

Selecting and evaluating suppliers on an ongoing basis, discussing needs and drawing up precise contracts setting out mutual obligations and product specifications (functional or otherwise) are the foundations of a "win/win" partnership essential to supply management. Formalizing the approval stage (what controls, on what criteria?) prior to departure or on receipt of goods is also a major challenge for today's agri-food companies.

The aim of this article is to present methods and tools for drawing up specifications, evaluating suppliers and checking incoming goods.