School Food Logistics

Supplier Status Review

Process Assessment Status – sampling and testing of 20 consecutive lots (which will include the last recorded result) for the microbes listed within the table.

The USDA will not allow delivery of production lots of ground beef when results meet or exceed the critical limits within the TRS-GB. When the upper specification limits are exceeded for Coagulase Positive staphylococci, a reserve sample shall be submitted to the laboratory for testing. If the results for the reserve sample exceed the upper specification limit for coagulase positive staphylococci, the production lot will not be allowed delivery to USDA.

Conditional Status – Ground Beef production lots with test results that meet or exceed any of the Critical Limits listed in the table below may not be used in ground beef delivered to USDA.

To regain process assessment status, the contractor must have 20 consecutive results that meet the Cpu (capability index based on the upper specification) and CL (center line – grand average) levels within 60 calendar days.

Ineligible Status – Not allowed to bid until process changes determined to be effective and a Satisfactory Assessment Audit has been received.

Twenty consecutive test results will be plotted on control charts and histograms. A process is not capable when:

• The Cpu values do not meet the levels specified in the table
• The Cl values do not meet the levels specified in the table for salmonella and E. coli O157:H7
• Two (2) or more results meet or exceed the critical limits for standard plate count, total coliforms, or E. coli in the table; or
• After 2 or more results, the Cpu value is negative.

The results

The first four years of the program have demonstrated the effectiveness of the SPC based supplier selection and on-going supply chain quality management. AMS can point to the following achievements:

Improve supplier selection process. By having contracting officer technical representation (COTR) reviewing technical proposals, better able to select the supplier most capable of delivering quality and wholesome product to the program

Coordinate and Provide SPC Training. Increase the process management skills of both AMS staff and contractors to improve system capability. Improve the functioning of the entire system from the farm to the school. This effectively makes SPC the language of quality – Is your process stable and capable?

Reduce Pathogen Levels. Using uniform data standards and a standard analysis and reporting method (SPC), the AMS has been able to work back through the system to reduce the incidence of pathogens and to reduce the target fat content. Within the context of a standard system, the data can be used to understand the source of pathogens

TRS-GB has been a major success in providing better quality and safer nutrition for the school lunch program. The TRS-GB focuses on two product parameters affecting food safety and nutritional quality – pathogen levels and fat content. In the four years of using the SPC based supply chain quality management program, the AMS can point to major improvement in the effectiveness of the ground beef procurement program:

• Salmonella incidence rate has been reduced from 5.5 percent to 1.9 percent
• The AMS has used the program to move the target fat content from 22 percent to 15 percent.

Steve Olson, of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, can be reached at [email protected]. Jeffrey Cawley is vice president of Northwest Analytical Services (Portland, OR.) Reach him at 503-224-7727 or [email protected].