Supply chain has been on consumers' minds since the global pandemic started. For food safety professionals, it is a topic that has only been heightened and complicated since COVID-19 emerged. Given this increased attention, businesses have been focusing on their supply chain. Therefore, it is imperative to discuss what drives most businesses forward in the present climate: vendor certification.
Vendor certification is an area that, if missing, is a deal-breaker for the majority of companies in the food and beverage industry. It impacts both business growth and maintenance of federal regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). If a company's suppliers do not undergo third-party audits, how can the company consistently verify that it is following proper food safety and regulatory practices? The truth is: they cannot. Just like any other type of regulatory audit (e.g., by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Internal Revenue Service), professionals need to maintain a valid "checks and balances" system to ensure that the inputs and outputs match.