Importance of Supplier Quality in Recalls

When One Supplier Fails: The Cucumber Recall That Ripples Across the Industry This past week has served as a stark reminder of how one supplier misstep can ripple through the food supply chain, triggering a wave of recalls across multiple products and retailers. In a single week, over 17 major food and beverage recalls were reported, many traced back to cucumbers supplied by Bedner Growers, Inc. The cucumbers, contaminated with Salmonella, were used in a wide range of products, from Greek salads and marinated cucumber salads to sushi trays, seafood stuffing, and made-to-order deli items. Retailers including Kroger, Weis, Big Y, and others were forced to remove affected products from shelves across numerous states. Beyond the cucumber-linked recalls, other unrelated incidents, including mislabeling of allergens and undeclared ingredients in various food and supplement products, highlight just how interconnected and vulnerable our supply chains can be. Key Takeaways: - Supplier failures can escalate quickly, impacting multiple manufacturers, product lines, and geographies. - Comprehensive traceability and proactive supplier verification are essential to identifying and addressing potential risks before they result in consumer harm and reputational damage. - Robust preventive controls, including testing, monitoring, and clear supplier communication, are crucial for reducing the risk of contamination or mislabeling incidents. The message for manufacturers and retailers is clear: Don’t wait for a crisis. Strengthen supplier relationships, build redundancy into critical supply chains, and regularly review and test preventive measures. A single weak link, like this week’s contaminated cucumbers, can cascade into a major industry challenge. #FoodSafety #RecallPrevention #SupplyChainRisk #Salmonella #CucumberRecall #RiskMitigation #FoodManufacturing #Traceability #SupplierVerification #CrisisPrevention #LeadershipInAction  

Latest #FDA Warning Letter issued by my old district office and by a good friend of mine. This entire Warning Letter could have been avoided with 2 words: PURCHASING CONTROLS ‼️ Whether we're talking about #medicaldevices or #pharmaceuticals, control of your suppliers should be considered the cornerstone of your company's success. ⛰️ Your product is only as good as its components / raw materials ... proven by the countless recalls and FDA Warning Letters that cite this area. Taking a risk-based approach to how you control your suppliers is an expectation of FDA and your Notified Bodies. ⚠️ No, you don't need a quality agreement or have to audit EVERY supplier but using a methodical approach you will identify suppliers of your most critical purchased components that require such controls. And this method / decision MUST be documented. 📄 Let's raise the bar on how we control the most important area of our QMS. 👍🏻 https://lnkd.in/dJ7Kc5Az ~~~ If you found this interesting, consider Reposting 🔄 and follow me Vincent F. Cafiso so you don't miss future content.

There’s no point getting your internal quality program in order and not keeping tabs on your suppliers. But I see life science companies doing this all the time. Your product is only as good as the materials and services that go into making it. For example, if you’re relying on a CMO, ensuring they align with GMP is critical. While regulations for different markets call out different requirements for your qualification activities, your oversight should be proportionate to the risk each supplier poses to your product. Have you got clear requirements for picking, qualifying and approving a supplier? Is there a supplier auditing program in place, with different audit frequencies for each supplier type? Do you have a process in place for escalation of supplier issues and risks, including SCARs and disqualification? Do you have quality or technical agreements in place? If not, it’s time to act - now. PIC/S’ ‘A Recommended Model for Risk-Based Inspection Planning in the GMP Environment’ is a great place to look for some inspiration. Don’t let a weak link damage your product’s quality and trustworthiness. #suppliers #supplychain #cgmp #cmo