Excellent quality starts with excellent suppliers
Food safety is of great importance to consumers. It is not without reason that the legislator sets strict requirements for this. Because the quality and food safety of our end products is partly determined by the quality of the raw materials, Schouten pays all attention to the selection of suppliers. Only together can we guarantee high product quality.
Schouten does not act overnight when selecting suppliers. For example, various departments are involved in the selection process, such as the Purchase department, Research & development R&D and QA. They look at factors such as reliability, reputation, costs, service, and consistent product quality.
The most important guideline in our choice is that suppliers are dignified, reliable and in line with our core values. We want to be sure that the delivered products are safe and of a consistent quality.
Pre-checks
Before the supplier starts delivering, we go through a number of regular checks. The Purchasing, R&D and QA departments draw up requirements in advance that the supplier and its products must meet. By checking for all these requirements, we can be sure that we are getting the right product.
The R&D and QA departments are involved in the assessment of quality and food safety. There is also an explicit eye for collaboration: involving suppliers at an early stage in the product design often leads to quality improvements.
Attention to the risks
What exactly we pay attention to during the checks depends on the product. The risks can be different for each raw material. For some products, the origin is important; for others, checking a specific step in the process determines the quality of the raw material.
For some products, we visit the supplier to assess the process and products ourselves. We mainly do this with suppliers of raw materials, such as agricultural products that may contain parts that are foreign to the product. These foreign products do not naturally belong in food and we do not want to get them in our end products. Control at the source is then of great importance.
Important for our customers
One thing is certain: supplier selection is a crucial part of Schouten’s purchasing process. Rightly so. Because only with good quality raw materials we can produce high-quality end products for our customers.
Request more information?
Would you like to meet our team? Or maybe you have a question about raw materials? Contact us about your needs. We are happy to help you