Quality Assurance
Campus Dining has a comprehensive master plan for management of product risk across all University accounts, overseen by the Vice President of Quality Assurance. Our plan directs an integrated approach to product risk management, from the procurement process to operating company and individual operating unit execution of a food safety management system – a 'source-to-service' approach. One element of this plan is vendor certification, administered by internal technical resources in positions dedicated to supply chain due diligence.
Furthermore, Campus Dining has identified the safety of incoming goods as a critical control point in its unit-level HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) plans and programming; hence, our pursuit of vendor certification as an essential prerequisite program on behalf of our operators. A fundamental requirement of our HACCP plan, therefore, is that product purchases are strictly from Campus Dining /Foodbuy-approved suppliers.
Our current success and future supply chain diligence strategies are underpinned with the strong and active partnership established between the Quality Assurance Department (QA) and Foodbuy.
Vendor Certification
The current centerpiece of Campus Dining vendor QA certification is our requirement of an independent, professional assessment of supplier facilities and operating standards, and validation of their compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and conformance to Campus Dining expectations. A third-party-conducted 'Good Manufacturing Practices', 'Warehouse and Distribution Center', or 'Good Agricultural Practices' audit is required to be submitted to Quality Assurance for review (audit type dependent upon the nature and scope of the supplier's business). Campus Dining QA expectations are currently met if the supplier achieves acceptable results on their initial and then annual third-party audit.
QA Supplier Review Steps
- Supplier submits:
- Completed Supplier Quality Systems Information questionnaire
- Copy of last third-party audit:
- If supplier does not participate in an 'independent' audit program, QA review cannot proceed
- Supplier approval request may be re-submitted following presentation of an audit conducted by an approved company, with acceptable results
- QA evaluation of all supplier documents submitted
- QA issues approval status: Approved – Conditional – Not Approved
- In the case of both 'Conditional' and 'Approved' status, the supplier is required to submit the details of the corrective actions they have taken to address each deficiency reported on their audit, as well as the preventive actions taken to prevent recurrence.
Key products are also subject to independent laboratory analysis.
Approved Supplier Audit Programs
- Silliker
- NSF Cook & Thurber
- AIB International
- Primus (produce only)
- SQF
- Randolph Associates, Inc.
In pursuit of supplier assessments of the utmost reliability, we only accept audits conducted by the most reputable organizations that retain auditors that are fully qualified professionals.