How do I check a food distributor’s lot tracking and recall readiness?
Pick a lot of product at random and ask the team to show you where it came from and which customers received it, then time how long that takes. Ask for the written recall plan, past drill results and any actual recall files. A plan that has never been practised is only a document.
The test is simple: choose a lot from the shelf and ask the staff to trace it. Can they name the supplier, the receiving date, the storage location and every customer that got a portion? Notice whether the answer comes from a system, a paper binder or someone’s memory. Ask how long it took, and whether the owner is satisfied with that.
Ask next for the written recall plan. Who decides, who calls customers, how are products pulled from routes and from customers’ shelves, and how is the response recorded? Look for contact lists that are current and a named person for each step. Request results from mock recalls and files from any real notices, including how fast the company reacted.
Check how lot numbers are captured on receiving and on outgoing invoices, as a gap on either side breaks the chain. Ask your food-safety adviser or lawyer which requirements apply, and whether the records satisfy them. Ask how new staff learn the routine. Also ask how the company learns of recalls on products it sells. Ask who monitors incoming notices, and how quickly a notice reaches the person who acts on it.
Key takeaways
- Trace a random lot from supplier to customers and time how long it takes.
- Ask for the written recall plan and results from practice drills.
- Check lot numbers are captured on receiving and on outgoing invoices.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Due diligence
- Expert answerHow can I tell if a market research firm relies on a few tracking studies?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a toy store’s safety recall handling and records?
- Expert answerHow can I tell if a yarn shop’s inventory has too many discontinued dye lots?
- Expert answerHow do I check a tree farm’s wholesale lot customers and their reorder habits?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how long a used car lot’s vehicles sit unsold?
- Expert answerWhat should I look for in a used car lot’s reconditioning costs per vehicle?
- Expert answerHow do I check a dry cleaner’s garment tagging and tracking system?
- Expert answerWhat should I check in an app studio’s time-tracking and project estimates?
Buying
- Expert answerHow can I tell if a parking lot sweeping business is profitable before buying?
- Expert answerHow do I check a used car lot’s inventory records against the vehicles on site?
- Expert answerHow do I check where a used car lot gets its vehicles?
- Expert answerHow do I judge a co-packer’s recall plan and lot tracing records?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Health CanadaGovernmentFind recalls, advisories and safety alerts
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat is inventory
- 04Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.