What should I check about a food co-packer’s allergen control and cleaning records?

Choose the dates yourself and request the paperwork for those days. Compare the production schedule with the cleaning log. When a product with a major allergen runs before one without, the record should show what was done between them and who confirmed it. Entries filled in all at once, or in the same handwriting every day, are worth asking about.

Next, ask how customers verify the controls. Many food brands audit their co-packers. Ask for recent customer audit reports and any corrective actions that followed, and check whether the actions were actually completed. Ask how label checks are done at changeover, because the wrong label on the right product is a common failure. Then ask about incidents. Has any product been held, reworked or recalled because of allergen mix-ups? Who trains new staff on these controls, and how is that recorded? Because this area involves food safety, have a qualified food safety consultant review the records, and ask your lawyer about customer contracts and liability. Write down every question you could not answer from the records and give the seller a chance to respond in writing. A food safety adviser can then tell you which gaps are cosmetic and which would change how you run the plant.

Key takeaways

• Pick the sample days yourself and compare the schedule with the cleaning log.
• Read customer audit reports and confirm corrective actions were closed.
• Ask about past incidents, label checks and how staff are trained.