5 answers
Approving suppliers, keeping traceability records, and testing recall procedures.
A documented process for deciding which suppliers you can buy from, based on the risk of what they supply, and for checking that they keep meeting your requirements. Certification schemes and many customers require one.
It depends on the material and its risk. Common items are a specification, a GFSI certificate or audit report, a questionnaire, allergen and other declarations, and certificates of analysis. Categorize suppliers by risk first, then set the evidence for each category.
Not usually all of them. Many programs accept certification, questionnaires and testing for most suppliers and keep audits for the highest-risk materials or for suppliers without certification. Check what your standard and your customers require.
Licence holders, and others covered by the rule, must be able to trace food one step back and one step forward: who supplied it, and who it went to. Records must be kept for two years and provided to CFIA when asked.
Source: CFIA: Regulatory requirements, traceability for food (opens in a new tab)
Who decides and who does what, how to identify and locate the affected lots, how to notify customers and CFIA, how to handle returned product, and how to check that the recall worked. Test it with a mock recall.
General information, reviewed 2026-10-28. It isn't legal advice or a determination for your business; what applies depends on your products, activities and markets.
Related solution: Supplier approval
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