Which statement about supplier verification activities is true?

Which statement about supplier verification activities is true?

• A. They must include onsite audits, sampling and testing, and review of supplier's records
• B. They require no on-site audits
• C. They do not include review of records
• D. They are optional for all ingredients

Answer: (A)

Supplier verification activities are the processes used to confirm that a supplier’s controls are adequate to keep ingredients safe. The requirement is that these activities include on-site audits of the supplier’s facility, sampling and testing of the supplier’s products or ingredients, and a review of the supplier’s records and documentation of their safety practices. Each element plays a role: on-site audits evaluate how the supplier implements their safety controls in practice; sampling and testing verify the safety of the actual ingredients; and reviewing records provides objective evidence of performance and compliance. The other statements contradict this approach—excluding on-site audits, excluding records review, or calling verification optional for all ingredients—because they omit essential verification activities or treat them as non-mandatory.

Supplier verification activities are the processes used to confirm that a supplier’s controls are adequate to keep ingredients safe. The requirement is that these activities include on-site audits of the supplier’s facility, sampling and testing of the supplier’s products or ingredients, and a review of the supplier’s records and documentation of their safety practices. Each element plays a role: on-site audits evaluate how the supplier implements their safety controls in practice; sampling and testing verify the safety of the actual ingredients; and reviewing records provides objective evidence of performance and compliance. The other statements contradict this approach—excluding on-site audits, excluding records review, or calling verification optional for all ingredients—because they omit essential verification activities or treat them as non-mandatory.