If you’re a food or beverage manufacturer with SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000 certification, inbound packaging is a documented control point. Auditors will check your supplier files, your inbound inspection records, and a sample of receiving documentation against what physically arrived. Here’s how to prepare.
The 11 dock-side checks
A composite of what typical receiving checklists cover:
- Tag present on tote, listing prior contents, wash date, and supplier identifier
- Visual inspection of bottle interior through top hatch — no residue, no discoloration, no biofilm
- Top hatch gasket present, compressed, not cracked or hardened
- Bottom valve closed and seal-tagged with breakable plastic tag
- Cage clean, no rust transferring to bottle
- Pallet plastic or food-grade composite, no wood
- UN/DOT markings present if hazardous prior contents (regardless of current intended use)
- Wash certificate or equivalent documentation matching the tag
- No physical damage to bottle (cracks, deformation, valve damage)
- Supplier letter of guarantee on file (one per supplier, not per tote)
- Allergen status disclosed for any tote that previously held an allergen-containing product
The documentation packet
Ask your supplier for a one-page document per food-grade tote covering: prior contents (last fill), any known earlier contents, wash protocol used, wash date, the final rinse check (such as discharge pH), and a food-contact letter of guarantee for the bottle resin. Partner suppliers can often provide this; confirm what’s included before you order.
Ask for a digital copy at ship time too, so the receiving team has it before the truck arrives. Having documentation in hand on audit day makes a real difference.
Allergen disclosure
This is where many suppliers fall short. The major food allergens recognized by the FDA (sesame was added in 2023) and the receiving customer’s own specific exclusions (gluten, certain colors, sometimes labels like “non-GMO”) all need to be disclosed if the tote ever carried them. Ask whether the supplier tracks allergen history per bottle, and whether bottles that carried major allergens are excluded from food-grade sale or clearly marked.
The traceability gap
The honest weak link in IBC food-grade work is that bottle history before the most recent fill is rarely complete. Bottles sourced directly from a known food manufacturer usually have better records than bottles bought on the open market. If a supplier sells you a food-grade tote and can’t tell you the prior contents, that supplier’s definition of food-grade isn’t one your auditor will accept.
The audit-day script
If an auditor asks about your tote supplier and the answer is “they have a website,” that’s a finding. Have on hand: supplier’s wash protocol document, supplier’s letter of guarantee, your inbound inspection records for the last 12 months (a sample is fine), and the wash certificate for the specific totes the auditor inspected. If you don’t have these, ask your supplier for them today, not the day before audit.
Questions on this one? Use the quote form to request a quote, and we can put you in touch with partner suppliers in Northeast Ohio.