ABSTRACT
Purchasing, outsourcing, and supplier management relate not only to the actual purchasing activity, but also to the approval and monitoring of suppliers. Depending on the standard of choice, there can be different interpretations on exactly how encompassing this program has to be. It is recommended that no matter which standard is chosen the organization makes the decision to apply compliance requirements to critical food safety and quality suppliers. A critical food safety supplier provides ingredients, packaging material, product contact/ processing aids, and/or services that are required for the production of safe products and also for meeting regulatory requirements related to food safety. A critical quality supplier is a supplier who provides ingredients, packaging material, product contact/processing aids, and/or services that are required for the production of the product that meets quality, customer, and any nonfood safety and regulatory requirements.
