Free Coles fresh produce traceability labels
Free Coles fresh produce traceability labels: For Australian packers of fresh produce fruit and vegetables: Print Coles fresh produce traceability labels and retain traceability records for audits and recalls.
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View Fresh Produce Traceability Requirements Specifications for Fruit & Vegetables
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Quality - All Fresh Produce Suppliers
This article contains the Coles requirements that all suppliers of fresh produce must comply with.
It is the suppliers’ responsibility to communicate the Coles Brands standards through their supply chain to ensure compliance. This page does not and is not intended to set out all the legal requirements suppliers must comply with. We recommend suppliers need to obtain their own advice on their legal obligations.
Farming Requirements:
Responsible Use of Plant Protection Products
Coles’ has developed a set of requirements for the use of plant protection products and the testing of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). By articulating these requirements, we aim to provide a clear set of guidelines for the management of plant protection products on farm that reduces the risk of excessive residue levels on fresh produce and safeguard consumer confidence in the safety of our fresh produce.
These requirements apply to all Coles Own Brand:
Fresh produce and farmed cut flower products (including proprietary products)
Farmed ‘Value Added’ fresh produce products including any raw ingredients used in fresh meals and salads
And
Proprietary fresh produce and farmed cut flower products
The following products and sites are out of scope:
Coles Own Brand fresh produce that undergoes further processing e.g. canning or cooking
Coles Own Brand Non-food products (Packaged Proprietary and Exclusive Proprietary brand products).
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Plant Protection Products (PPP) refers to the following agricultural chemicals:
Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, acaricides, fungicides, nematicides, molluscicide, rodenticide, anthelmintic, organochlorines, metals, soil disinfectants, or plant growth regulators.
Requirements
All farms must only use plant protection products that are legally permitted for use in their intended manner in the country of application.
All application of plant protection products must be as per the labelling directions, relevant legislated use (including off label use permitted by state or local laws), labels, permits and state/federal laws.
All equipment used for application including chemical barrels must be fit for purpose, as per PPP manufacturer, label, permit etc recommendations. The equipment must be calibrated, checked and cleaned with these actions recorded as part of plant protection product management. Calibration activities must ensure they cover (but are not limited to) nozzles, checks of hoses and joints for leaks, spray pressure and speeds of application.
Processes to ensure MRLs are not exceeded need to be validated and verified regularly or if a major change to process has occurred.
Records must be kept and retained for at least 12 months following application and include the following:
Crop;
Product (trade name and active ingredient);
Location;
Labelling directions;
Reason for application;
Maximum residue limits (MRL);
Withholding period or earliest harvest date;
Planned/actual harvest date;
Application method/equipment;
Application rate;
Application volume;
Area product applied to;
Date & time of application;
Weather/wind;
Calibration;
Person responsible for agronomic advice;
Person responsible for the application; and
Comments
These requirements listed are the minimum requirement and do not override any state or local legislated requirements.
Maximum Residue Limits (MRL)
Each product must have the MRLs tested in line with the relevant Fruit or Vegetable whole testing specification found on Coles Fusion and all records kept for a minimum of 12 months. All screening should (where possible) be conducted against all actives applied to the crop or other potential contaminates e.g. actives at risk of spray drift.
Supplier Testing
In the event of a supplier recording an MRL exceedance or a PPP not registered for use on a specific crop, the supplier must notify and supply a copy of the detailed MRL test results to their Coles Product Technologist of the breach within 24 hours of receipt of the confirmed test.
Coles Testing
Coles undertakes regular MRL testing. In the event of Coles recording an MRL exceedance or an unapproved plant protection product being found, the supplier will be notified via email and the incident recorded in Coles Fusion.
The supplier will be required to supply the above listed records and evidence of last testing to their Coles Product Technologist within 1 business day of notification and provide a written corrective action report within the below timeframes.
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Corrective Actions
All non-conformances must be rectified within the below timelines from the date notification is received. The examples of non-conformance types are an indication only, the Coles Product Technologist will determine the categorisation of each non-conformance.
Critical Non-Conformance – Immediately or as directed by Coles
e.g., Illegal use of a PPP or third MRL exceedance on a crop from one specific farm within a growing season
Major Non-Conformance – 2 Weeks
e.g. Second MRL exceedance on a crop from one specific farm within a growing season
Minor Non-Conformance – 30 Days
e.g. First MRL exceedance on a crop from one specific farm within a growing season
If a corrective action plan is not received within the above timeframe the product will be placed on supply hold until the corrective action plan is accepted.
Once the corrective action plan is received the Coles Product Technologist will review the plan within 3 business days and notify the supplier if any further actions are required.
Critical and major non-conformances will be addressed through to the category team for escalation and may result in suspension of supply. Triggering of critical non-conformance will require a top-to-top meeting at Coles.
Following a period of stop supply due to a breach in any of the above Plant Protection Products requirements the supplier must also provide an MRL test within 2 weeks of the Corrective Action Plan being accepted by the Coles Product Technologist.
Notification
In the event of a non-conformance being raised for a breach of these PPP requirements, the Coles Product Technologist will notify the relevant Category Manager, Business Category Manager and Coles Brand Manager of the breach via email within 24hrs.
Best Practice
The below practices are not a current requirement of Coles however we consider this to be best practice and would encourage all suppliers to adopt them where possible.
Farms should be certified at a minimum to one of the following fresh produce farming standards:
SQF Food Safety Code for Primary Production
Freshcare Food Safety & Quality (on-farm)
Global G.A.P All Farm Base, Crops Base, Fruit and Vegetables
Farms should have an active Integrated Cropping Management plan in place on farm and have either completed Freshcare training or be managing plant protection products as per the Fresh Produce Safety Guidelines.
All plant protection products should be applied with consideration of the WHO importance rating system and chemicals rated as WHO 1A ‘extremely hazardous’ or WHO 1B ‘highly hazardous’ should only ever be used under exceptional circumstances as directed by a qualified Agronomist.