Goods-in checks for consumables in 10 minutes

A 10 minute check on delivery is enough to catch short measure, wrong spec, damage and missing paperwork before you've signed for it. You need a set of scales, a tape measure, a micrometer and a record sheet. That's it. It's easy to check the raw ingredients with great care, then wave the consumables through because they're only film and boxes and gloves, and nobody thinks a short roll will ever stop a line.

What does BRCGS expect on receipt?

As commonly summarised by consultants, clause 3.5.2.1 of BRCGS Issue 9 expects goods to be checked on receipt, and that includes primary packaging, not just ingredients. We're not quoting clause text, so read the standard for the exact wording. Issue 9 has applied to audits since 1 February 2023. In plain terms, you should be able to show what you checked, against what, and what you did when it didn't match.

That last part matters. A check you can't evidence might as well not have happened.

What can short measure look like?

Here's a real example from our own finding. A hand wrap roll was sold as 17 micron and 300m. We weighed it, measured the film and worked it out.

It measured 14 micron and about 216m, not 17 micron and 300m. The roll weighed 1,746g on a 350g core, and was 500mm wide. The film was thinner than the label said, and the roll was about 84m short of it.

You can't see that by looking at the pallet. You have to weigh and measure it.

The sum is film weight divided by density times width times thickness, using about 0.92 for LLDPE. Take the 1,746g roll, subtract the 350g core and you've got 1,396g of film. Over 500mm wide and 14 micron, that gives about 216m. A true 17 micron, 300m roll of that width would carry roughly 2.35kg of film, so the shortfall shows up on the scales in seconds.

Weigh the empty core too. The core is not film, and it's the mistake everyone makes first.

What does hygiene paper look like?

Rolls of towel and tissue have the same problem: you pay for a roll, and nobody has counted the sheets.

Under the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) accreditation scheme, labels show roll length, width and sheet count. In the CHSA's 2024 half year audit, over 90% of members were compliant across the schemes. That doesn't make every roll right, but buying from accredited suppliers gives you something to measure against. If the label says 100m and the roll is 80m, you've got a clear complaint.

What does it cost you?

Say, illustratively, you use 50 rolls of wrap a week and each is 28% short, as with the roll above. That's the equivalent of about 14 rolls a week you're paying for and not getting. Over a year, that's around 730 rolls. At a notional £8 a roll, it comes to roughly £5,800 for film that never existed.

The numbers are made up, but the shape isn't. Nobody notices, because the pallet is wrapped and the line keeps running.

Then there are the knock on costs. A short roll runs out mid pallet, so someone has to stop and find another. Thinner film may not hold a load the way the spec promised, and you won't know until a pallet shifts. A stock-out is worse: if your count says you hold 3 weeks of gloves and the cartons were short, Friday's dispatch is in trouble. And an audit finding for unchecked receipt costs you time to close out.

Not sure what yours are costing you? We'll check them with you on site.

How do you run a goods-in check in 10 minutes?

Start with the paperwork, which takes 2 minutes. Check that the delivery note matches your purchase order and the spec you agreed. Look for the batch or lot number on the pack and the pallet, and make sure it matches the note. Confirm the certificate or declaration of compliance is in your register and in date.

Then spend 3 minutes on the pallet. Count the cases against the note, and count them properly, layer by layer, not by eye from the dock door. Look for crushed corners, wet or stained cartons, torn wrap, leaning stacks and broken boards. Photograph anything wrong. Write it on the delivery note before you sign.

The last 5 minutes are for the sample. Pick one case at random. For film, weigh one roll and the empty core, measure the width, and check the thickness with a micrometer. For hygiene paper, read the label, count sheets on one roll and check the length. For boxes, measure the size and look at the board. For gloves, check the box matches the spec, the size and the colour.

Write down what you found. Pass or fail, the date, the supplier, the product, the batch, and who checked. One line per delivery is plenty.

What kit do you need?

You don't need much, and none of it is dear. Scales that read to the gram for rolls, a 5m tape measure, a micrometer that reads to 1 micron for film, and a phone camera. A clipboard or a shared sheet for the record.

Keep it at the goods-in door, not in the QA office. If it takes 5 minutes to find the micrometer, nobody will use it. Buy two if you have to.

Who does it and how often?

Whoever signs for the delivery does the quick checks on every load. That's usually the goods-in operative or the warehouse lead. The weigh and measure sample can be done on every delivery of a new line and then at a set rate afterwards, such as 1 delivery in 5. Your QA lead reviews the sheet weekly and acts on repeat problems.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to check consumables on delivery?

BRCGS Issue 9 is commonly summarised as expecting acceptance checks on receipt, including primary packaging. Check your own site standard and your customers' requirements.

How do I check film thickness?

Use a micrometer on a flat piece of film, and cross check by working out the length from the weight. Weigh the core separately.

What if a roll is short?

Photograph it, keep the roll and the label, record the batch and tell the supplier the same day.

Does buying from accredited suppliers help?

It helps. For hygiene paper, CHSA labels show length, width and sheet count, so you have a figure to check against.

Let us set up your goods-in check

We'll set up a goods-in check for your consumables on site. That means agreeing what to check for each line, what kit you need, and a record sheet your team can use.

It starts with our free site check. We walk the site with your operations team, it takes about 30 minutes, you get a written report, and there's no contract. We arrange testing only where needed.

Every client also gets their own login with every spec sheet, certificate and declaration of compliance for what they buy from us. We test what you buy, lock the spec and never swap without your approval.

Email sales@kptrading.uk or call 020 4576 5500.

Sources

ASC Food Safety, BRCGS Issue 9: https://ascfoodsafety.com/?p=41258

Techni-K, managing suppliers: https://techni-k.co.uk/supplier-management/managing-suppliers/

Campden BRI, BRCGS 9 common non-conformances: https://campdenbri.co.uk/blogs/brcgs-9-common-non-conformances.php

Cleaning Magazine, CHSA half year audit results: https://cleaningmag.com/news/half-year-audit-results-show-chsa-members-compliant-with-accreditation-scheme-specifications

Illustrative figures are labelled in the text. Images are illustrative.