| 1 | Food-Safety Management System | Documented HACCP-based controls covering raw materials, thermal processing, canning, cooling, storage, and dispatch. | HACCP plan Process-flow diagram Critical-control records | Reduces biological, chemical, and physical food-safety risks. | 20% |
| 2 | Third-Party Certification | Valid certification to a recognized food-safety scheme, such as a GFSI-recognized program, with the correct site and product scope. | Current certificate Audit scope Expiry date Latest audit report | Provides independent verification beyond a supplier’s own declarations. | 12% |
| 3 | China Export Compliance | Facility and product registration or filing status must comply with applicable Chinese export rules, including requirements administered by China Customs. | Customs registration details Export eligibility Destination approval records | Helps prevent customs delays, rejected shipments, and documentation problems. | 12% |
| 4 | Thermal-Process Validation | Commercial canning process established and validated by qualified technical personnel for the specific product, container, and process conditions. | Scheduled process Retort records Temperature charts Deviation procedure | Proper thermal processing is essential for the safety and shelf stability of low-acid canned vegetables. | 15% |
| 5 | Can-Seam and Package Integrity | Routine inspection of double seams, closures, can bodies, corrosion protection, coding, and finished-package integrity. | Seam inspection records Leak-test results Packaging specification Lot coding system | Protects against leakage, contamination, swelling, and transport damage. | 10% |
| 6 | Raw-Material Traceability | Each finished lot should be traceable to the vegetable harvest or supplier lot, processing date, packaging materials, and distribution records. | One-step-back records One-step-forward records Mock-recall results | Enables fast investigation and targeted withdrawal if a quality issue occurs. | 8% |
| 7 | Laboratory Testing and Contaminant Control | Risk-based testing should address microbiological safety, pesticide residues, heavy metals, additives, and other parameters required by the destination market. | Recent COA Sampling plan Accredited-lab details Corrective actions | Supports compliance with importing-country limits and customer specifications. | 10% |
| 8 | Product and Label Compliance | Ingredients, allergen statements, nutrition information, net quantity, drained weight, date coding, country of origin, and language must match the destination market. | Approved artwork Product specification Label review Shelf-life basis | Prevents relabeling costs, regulatory non-compliance, and marketplace rejection. | 8% |
| 9 | Capacity and Supply Continuity | Supplier should demonstrate suitable processing capacity, seasonal raw-material planning, cold-chain or storage controls where applicable, and backup arrangements. | Production schedule Capacity statement Inventory policy Business-continuity plan | Improves reliability for repeat orders and seasonal demand. | 3% |
| 10 | Commercial and Logistics Capability | Clear specifications for minimum order quantity, packaging formats, lead time, Incoterms, palletization, export documents, and shipment performance. | Quotation sheet Proforma invoice Packing list sample On-time delivery history | Allows buyers to compare total landed cost and operational risk. | 2% |