National Branded Products - Bulk Deli Meats to be Sliced in a Store/Club
Audits
Sites manufacturing or processing bulk deli meats intended to be sliced in the store or club must be independently certified or assessed to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized audit standard or, by exception, a Walmart alternative food safety audit standard. Failure to maintain annual certification may result in loss of business and deactivation of a supplier's vendor number. This is a requirement for all sites that manufacture or process bulk deli meat products that will be sold at Walmart or Sam’s Club, regardless of ownership. It is the responsibility of the supplier to ensure that all sites manufacturing or processing bulk deli meat products that will be sliced in our stores or clubs comply with Walmart's audit and certification requirements – including scheduling any necessary audits. Suppliers will be required to disclose their supply chain to ensure compliance with these requirements. Any changes to supply chain sites shall be communicated to your Food Safety manager. New sites must have Walmart Food Safety approval prior to use.
For more information about the GFSI-recognized certification process and to view a full list of recognized schemes, we recommend visiting the official GFSI website.
Listeria monocytogenes is a recognized human pathogen commonly associated with ready-to-eat food items, including deli meats. In our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of our customers and members, Walmart, Inc. mandates that all suppliers of bulk deli meats intended to be sliced in our stores/clubs adhere to the following requirements.
- Every SKU of bulk deli meat intended to be sliced within our stores/clubs must include an antimicrobial agent (as defined in 9 CFR 430.1) that will not allow Listeria monocytogenes to increase more than 1-log during the intended shelf-life and storage of the product. Effectiveness of the formulation must be verified through a scientifically credible challenge study.
- We recommend that all deli product labels be as clean as possible. Therefore, any antimicrobial agents used shall be consumer accepted, food-grade preservatives that do not negatively impact product quality or taste. Additionally, whenever possible, these antimicrobial agents should be of natural origin.
- Suppliers must have a comprehensive, multifaceted Listeria control program including strict sanitation, environmental monitoring, and finished product testing. These programs are required for all sites manufacturing or processing product that will be sold at Walmart and/or Sam's Club, regardless of ownership. Corresponding documents and records relating to deli products produced under the scope of this requirement must be made available upon request.
Suppliers must submit challenge studies for each item number or formulation to undergo our review before receiving approval to supply the product to our stores and/or clubs.
Ongoing monitoring & verification of compliance with these requirements will occur every 3 years, at a minimum. Suppliers should notify Walmart, Inc. Supplier Food Safety as soon as possible when there are changes to:
- Product formulation,
- Raw material suppliers,
- Ingredient and/or packaging material specifications,
- Manufacturing site(s) or equipment (e.g., line changes that impact product flow, process changes that alter process control, manufacturing zoning changes, installation of new equipment).
In these instances, a new study may be required or appropriate scientific justification to support use of an existing study must be provided.
Suppliers are responsible for ensuring all sites providing product to Walmart retail operations are compliant with any applicable international (including foreign national), federal, state, and local requirements. In addition, all products provided must be compliant with the federal, state, and local requirements for the store or club in which the products will be sold. This may include, but is not limited to, USDA, FDA, and/or state registration of a supplier’s site, and any related product labeling requirements. All products provided to Walmart must be produced in a commercial food manufacturing or packing environment.
Suppliers (both domestic and foreign) are also expected to assist regulatory and health agencies with investigations in a timely manner. Walmart assists various regulatory agencies in outbreak investigations and expect suppliers to provide any traceback documentation that may be requested. Likewise, if public health may be at risk, even if products produced by a supplier have not been directly implicated in an outbreak, it is our expectation that suppliers comply with any recommended product removals.
If for any reason a situation arises where a supplier needs to remove product from Walmart Stores, Sam’s Clubs, Distribution Centers, or Fulfillment Centers:
- Supplier should contact their Buyer, Private Brand Quality Manager, and Food Safety Manager immediately to communicate that a removal is necessary. For any impending recalls impacting Walmart or Sam’s Club, it is important that this contact be made prior to any public notification. Additional information may be requested, which must be provided in a timely manner.
- The Walmart Recall Managers will take the lead in initiating the recall from Walmart facilities, communicating to all impacted stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers to hold or remove product quickly. They will also send communications to our members and online customers notifying them of a potential issue. Once a recall is terminated and the supplier receives approval, the supplier may resume sending safe products to Walmart stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. Please note that depending on the nature of the issue necessitating the recall, a supplier may be required to successfully complete an investigation and corrective action plan before Walmart Food Safety approval is given to resume shipment.
- Recall information, based on manufacturers’ and regulatory agencies’ press releases that involve products sold through Walmart stores, Walmart.com, Sam’s Club, or SamsClub.com can be found here.
Retail Link® is an online hub for the data, documentation, reports, and special applications that suppliers use to manage their business with Walmart. The Product Removal app is located within Retail Link® and is used to remove products from stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. The Walmart Food Safety compliance team uses data to execute product withdrawals and recalls through this portal.