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Steve Hilton, vice president of product quality and environmental affairs for Albertson's Inc., Boise, Idaho, said the most frequent question suppliers have asked since the retailer's November letter outlining the chain's food safety expectations-"Is there really going to be follow-through from Albertson's, or will this be an effort that fades?"
His response: "There is too much at stake not to stay this course."
Hilton shared a handout answering that question and other common inquiries as a panelist at the Feb. 25 workshop "Great Expectations: Meeting Retail and Foodservice Demands," during United/GrowTech 2000.
Among the greatest concerns suppliers is whether all the food safety requirements outlined in the letter must be in place by April 30. Hilton said the retailer understands the complexity of the issue; the date is by no means a drop-dead deadline. Significant progress, however, is expected by April 30.
Other points addressed by Hilton and the handout:
- Help in developing safe production manuals, conducting self-audits, posting self-audit results on the Web and obtaining a third-party audit.
- How imports will be treated in the Albertson's safety system: "We will expect exactly the same level of assurance from import suppliers," Hilton said.
- The retailer will continue to work on uniformity of safety requirements across the retail industry through United and other channels.
- Who will bear the expense? "We expect the expense of safe food handling to be a part of the cost of being in the business," the handout read.
Rick Buttner, research and development supervisor for Doctor's Associates Inc./Subway, Milford, Conn., said that when the chain was asked what it expected from suppliers, officers realized they first had to define what customers expected.
"Basically, our customers expect from us quality products and, more importantly, safe products," he said.
The company, he said, has four objectives in looking for suppliers: better pricing; improved quality; consistency of products; and protection of its customers and its brand. But while food safety is an issue for both foodservice and retail, foodservice has criteria that retail does not.
Subway uses a short, specific list of produce items, not a wide variety, like retail. "We do not have the option of substituting another product for iceberg lettuce if there is a problem with the lettuce," he said.
PrimusLabs.com, Santa Maria, Calif., is the food safety vendor whose model both Albertson's and Subway use in evaluating suppliers' food safety programs. Panelist Robert Stovicek, president, said buyers and farmers both have challenges in maintaining food safety that are unique. For food safety audits to be effective, they must drive costs from the system, drive out complexities and optimize information management.
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