CFA members are required to use raw materials sourced from reputable approved suppliers, and therefore have procedures in place for their approval. For produce this includes compliance with CFA’s ‘Microbiological Guidance for Produce Suppliers to Chilled Food Manufacturers’.
Fluctuations in food supplies can lead to use of spot buying. This requires working to pre-agreed protocols and careful monitoring to ensure compliance with agreed standards of food safety and quality.
CFA’s free downloadable Protocol for Spot Buying of Produce to be Used as Ready to Eat sets out key requirements on certification, microbiological safety, pesticide residues and contaminants, and quality standards and specifications. It also offers further information on the required standards.
March 2023