7.7 Approving new products prior to a scheduled audit

Found in:

Quality Pork Charter Rules / Surveillance audits and spot checks

Prior approval of new products may be granted for the BMPA Quality Pork Charter before the next scheduled surveillance audit. This is done to minimise unnecessary audits, particularly in the case of seasonal products. Where applicable, the Charter participant shall be required to submit the following evidence to the service provider:

A copy of the product specification and the documented quality attribute specification (QAS) that has been formally agreed between the supplier and the customer. This may be a shortened version but shall include relevant technical information including product origin
Examples of QAS inspection records undertaken for the finished product
Relevant processing records
Micro and chemical analysis reports of finished product including shelf life
Artwork approval must be gained from RTA, a copy of finished packaging must be sent
Any other information the service provider may request to support the prior approval process
Full backward trace to the point of intake at the manufacturing site

Once the evidence has been verified by the service provider, the site shall receive written confirmation of the product(s) that have received prior approval.

Products that have received prior approval shall be listed on the certificate of conformity. The service provider shall send an updated certificate of conformity to the participant. On receipt of the updated certificate the participant shall return the previous certificate to the service provider.

The service provider shall review a maximum of 10 products against each module aligned to the system for prior approval. Where the number of prior approvals exceeds the maximum of 10 over the period of certification, the service provider may charge for each subsequent prior approval. These costs shall be agreed between the service provider and the participant. The participant will be cleared to sell Red Tractor Assurance approved product once the certificate has been updated on the Red Tractor website.