How to Handle Nonconforming Products in a Food Warehouse

 

Keywords 

Root cause analysis

In the aspect of food quality, root cause analysis is an organized process of identifying the root causes (underlying factors that caused a deviation) of a quality problem and detailing ways of handling it. It aims at finding ways of preventing a reoccurrence of the identified problem.

Deviant products

Products that do not fulfill a specific or a set of requirements by a client or a regulatory body. The requirements can be a stated need or expectation. 

Specification

Any requirement that a product, process, service, or other activity must fulfill.

Nonconformity

A nonfulfillment of a defined, or a specified product requirement.

 

Introduction

A nonconforming product is simply a product that deviates from a set standard, specification, or expectation. In terms of quality standards, these products are potential risks to food safety and can lead to adverse health effects to the consumer. 

Nonconforming product procedure shows how warehouse management handles food or food-related products that don’t fulfill the stated expectations. Once identified, the warehouse staff segregates the non-conformant products from the rest.

 

 Note;

Nonconformances can occur in both product and process, and a nonconforming process can lead to a nonconforming product.

 

Purpose of a nonconforming procedure

The nonconforming procedure ensures that deviant food or related products are promptly identified, evaluated, and assessed for any food safety risk. In case such risks are identified, the procedure details the product handling and the appropriate root cause analysis and corrective actions are applied correctly and promptly to correct the nonconformity. 

Responsibility

It’s the responsibility of the warehouse manager, quality control department, and process owners or supervisor to implement the nonconforming procedure. Every department has specific roles it plays in the implementation of the procedure, but you must remember these are not written in stone and can change from one warehouse to another.

Quality control department;

·         Carrying out root cause analysis

·         Issues out corrective action

·         Implements final disposition of non-conformant products

 

Process owners

·         Sight and report potential nonconforming product 

·         Implement correctiveactions issued by the quality department

 

 

Warehouse managers

·         Receives the facility’s nonconformance reports

·         Analyses the warehouse nonconformance reports

·         Makes final disposition regarding the non-conformant products

 

Procedure:

Identification of nonconforming products

Nonconforming products are identified at all product handling stages of the warehouse; receiving stage, storage stage, and dispatch or shipping stage. Process owners must be trained on how to identify potential nonconforming products and what actions to take in case they identify one. Let’s use the receiving stage as our example. In case the warehouse sets temperature specification for all incoming products is—18degrees Celsius, but a product is received at -14 degrees Celsius—This is a nonconforming product.

Perhaps the most crucial and foremost action is to transfer the product to the nonconforming area away from other products and informing a designated personnel or quality control team of the incidence. It is the responsibility of a designated personnel or quality team to carry out a root cause analysis and issue out correctiveaction. To put it in simple terms, a designated person evaluates the nonconforming products to ascertain the nature of the deviation and whether it warrants an investigation. Investigations are not necessary in case the nonconformity is not new to the warehouse. In this situation, corrective action is enough to avoid a reoccurrence. 

The most common warehouse nonconforming products include but are not limited to the following;

·         Damaged packaging

·         Expired products

·         Contaminated products (by physical, chemical, or biological agents)

·         Storage temperature abused products

·         Transporting temperature abused products

·         Condensation stained products

 

Handling of nonconforming products

Every storage section of the warehouse must have a well-demarcated nonconforming area where deviant products are placed on hold while waiting for the final decision from the facility management. The segregated products should be labeled with instructions such as do not us and on hold.

 

Other segregation methods include;

·         Separate racks

·         Caged room

 

Designated personnel must record Product details in a nonconforming product form. These details include but not limited to the following;

·         Manufacturing date

·         Expiry date

·         Product batch number

·         Quantity of the product

·         Nature of deviation

·         Date of the nonconformance

·         Supplier of the product

Deviant products must be labeled as an indication to the warehouse staff not to use the products until cleared and authorized to do so by a designated person with authority, such as the facility’s Quality Control manager and general manager. 

Borrowing law terminology, nonconforming products are not guilty until proved so. Designated warehouse personnel or team will carry out a full-fledged investigation to determine whether the quality of the products is compromised and to what extent. 

 

Disposition of nonconforming product

In case the product is compromised and deemed a risk to food safety, the warehouse management can do the following;

• disposed of products following the statutory or local laws,
•  return the nonconforming product to the supplier.

 

Note;

• It is advisable to make a disposition basing on scientific evidence.
• Disposition must be documented and kept on file

Documentation

·         Nonconforming product record form 

·         Corrective action form

 

A nonconforming procedure document must be drafted as a control document with the following details;

·         Document identification number

·         Effective date

·         Revision date

·         Revision number

 

Nonconformance flow diagram

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