The specifications of finished products are used to ensure the finished product being launched is in compliance with all the specifications agreed by both Tesco and the manufacturer. It has to include accurate information on the product description as well as packaging and processing details. By ensuring that the specifications are properly followed throughout the processing line, all production sites should have a copy of the specification. The specifications are only valid to agreed products, and it must be reviewed and rearranged with Tesco when changes arise in terms of the product and the processes. It is noted that any information from Tesco Technical Specifications will be added into an internal document format, thus systems that support the document must be in place to ensure that updates of information are accurate. Special requirements such as maintaining documents for traceability of product history and training of personnels that are responsible for specification approvals are only applicable to Tesco in UK and USA, thus will not be discussed here.
3.2.4 Product Packaging
The standards on packaging materials should be effectively controlled with proper annual risk assessment based on the functionality of the packaging, its contact with food, the volume of the packaging supplied and also the history of the supplier. Specifications on packaging should include relevant information such as supplier name and address, material composition, suitability for use in different storage and so on. An approval system for packaging suppliers must be in place that may include an approved site audit report and a valid third party certificate. A supplier self audit report on the packaging can be provided only if results of the risk assessment indicates that the supplier is low risk. A traceability system will have to be in place to trace packaging. All the packaging suppliers that are approved by Tesco must be kept on an approved supplier list and packaging can only be obtained from suppliers on the list, regardless the packaging supplier is directly supplied, via an agent or imported. An approved packaging supplier must have BRC/IOP certification or similar accreditation to confirm the safety of packaging. If there is no such accreditation, the packaging supplier will have to go through physical auditing. The BRC/IOP certification is a global standard for packaging and packaging materials that is set up by the British Retail Consortium that is widely applied in the UK. When a contingency packaging supplier is needed, the manufacturing site will at least have information on the specification of the product being packaged, a third party audit report, test results on the packaging and also documentation to show compliance to Tesco Code of Practices (COP) before assigning projects to contingency packaging suppliers. The packaging must be on a like for like basis, and the manufacturing site must first contact the Tesco technical managers for acceptance before assigning the projects to contingency packaging suppliers. All food contact packaging will have to comply with local legislation for food packaging. All suppliers have to be monitored minimum annually, and all auditing mentioned above must be completed against good manufacturing practice. In cases such that the food manufacturer produces the packaging by themselves, the packaging must comply to the same requirements as that of packaging suppliers.
3.2.18 Product Labeling and Coding
For product labeling and coding, firstly the packaging used must be checked to ensure it is correct and matches the product being packaged. For any changeovers of packaging, the production line must be cleared of other unused packaging. The coding of the packaging must be correct according to the correct and updated coding schedule document that is available online with date. For promotional labels, there must be highlight on the coding schedule with date of start and end of promotion, and the coding of promotion labels have to be cross-checked prior to issue. If any changes in the coding of packaging occur, it has to be agreed with Tesco and is properly documented and updated to the online document. Product labeling must be checked and documented at every start up, end of run, hourly intervals, in between and after any line disruptions. The coding checks must be completed for all runs and records of the coding checks must include physical labels and also the actual code printed on the packaging. These samples of physical labels and actual codes should be retained from each run. If there is usage of product catch weight system, additional labeling and coding checks on the price per unit and packaging tare must be included. The barcodes on all packaging must be checked against Tesco issued information before the packaging is used.
3.2.19 Weight, Volume and Count Checks
The site must have a clear documented policy and procedure for the management of weight, volume and count for each product manufactured that conforms to legal requirements in the country of manufacture and the intended country of sale. All sites must also comply with the requirements in Tesco COP. A detailed procedure in dealing products that do not meet the specifications must also be in place. For automated weight and volume control system, there must be a mechanism to sort out rejected items. As for count controls, a detailed procedure to ensure correct count of number of items must be in place. In overall, procedures concerning weight, volume and tare verification should be done in regular intervals and individual finished pack results for each batch must be shown in the report. The documented checks for all scales and equipment and checks of product weight, volume and count must be produced with details such as average mean of weight, average fill volumes and product count. All of the weight, volume and count controls should be done with automated systems.
3.3.1 Quality Management Systems
The site must have a well maintained and regularly reviewed Quality Management System (QMS) that contains procedures and records as required by the Tesco Food Manufacturing Standards (TFMS) to enable gap analysis against current QMS and the TFMS. Other document that must be in place includes Quality Policy Statement that states the company’s intentions to produce safe, legal and quality products and a quality manual to outline company policies and procedures. Both the documents must be available to employees and employees must be well aware of such documents. All documents must be accurate and fully complete, at the same time must be controlled with alterations done up to date with authorizations. An organizational structure chart must be in place to show management authority.
3.3.3 Product Retail/Incident Management
Incident management procedures must be in place to manage all the incidences and potential emerging issues that may affect the food safety, legality and quality of te produced food. Potential occurring incidences include natural disasters such as fire and flood, disruption to distribution, water and energy supplies and any other potentially arising issues. The likelihood of occurance of issues listed must be risk assessed and a communication plan must be in place to manage potential incidents. Key contact information that includes internal contacts, suppliers, government and enforcement bodies, certificate bodies and customer contacts must be maintained. Recall plans on the event that food safety, legality and quality is in doubt must be in place, including ways to inform Tesco, the full process of traceability and procedures to recall from distribution and sale. all the products must be located within four hours from the start of recall and reconciliation of products must be verified against production records. Trainings on incident management and mock recalls must be carried out to test the effectiveness of the Incident Management Team.
3.3.6 Maintenance
Equipment and tools used in the processing of food must be maintained in good condition, where they must be clean and disinfected as well as having regular services and immediate respond to reports on breakdown within a given timescale. A system should be in place to prioritize repairs that may impact on food safety, legality and quality. Good standards of hygiene and housekeeping are constantly maintained in facilities. Engineers and contractors assigned with equipment service and repair work must be trained and from the approve list. Their work must also comply with necessary health and safety requirements and operational GMP of the site. Maintenance must be avoided to be done when food processing and production is running. This is to minimize foreign body risks and also prevent potential risks to the product in terms of safety, legality and quality. If such repairs are unavoidable, a permit to work system must be in place. After maintenance, the assessment of cleaning requirements prior to use in production must be done to prevent risks towards the product.
3.3.9 Transport
All the vehicles used for transportation must ensure food safety, legality and quality of materials, including raw materials, packaging and finished goods. If a third party is contracted for transportation, requirements must be defined in the contract and effectively managed. Contractors must be formally approved by recognized schemes. The maintenance and hygiene condition of the vehicle must be well kept and documented procedures must be in place for maintenance and hygiene, including pipe work for liquid food transportation such as milk tankers. Procedures must be in place to minimize the risk of cross contamination during transportation. For transports with temperature control, procedures must be in place to ensure requirements are met in terms of maintaining the temperature within specification. Data of temperature conditions must be recorded by automatic devices or manual systems to validate correct operation of refrigerated equipment. Procedures must also be in place for breakdown of vehicle, and such incidences must be recorded and corrective actions documented.
3.3.12 Environment
Documents such as a site specified Environmental Policy, the Quality Management System and risk assessments related to environmental issues must be in place to help the manufacturing site in meeting local legislative requirements, minimize overall environmental impact, ensuring the environmental matters are identified and managed as well as identifying potential environmental risks. Protective measures are also required to be in place for potential contaminants and are regularly reviewed to ensure its effectiveness.
3.3.13 Ethical Trading
In the spirit of corporate commitment to ethical trading, the management must have knowledge of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code, which includes issues such as the working conditions within the site, adequacy of workers’ welfare facilities, prohibition of child labour, reasonable wages, equal opportunities without discrimination and the exclusion of harsh and inhumane treatment of staff. The management must also have the knowledge of the ethical trading requirements in the Tesco Ethical Code of Practice and constantly aware of the ethical risk rating in the Tesco Technical Library. A written ethical policy statement must be in place and must be communicated to the workforce.
