5.3 Storage Practices and Conditions

GWSI will categorize products in storage safely and orderly by product type (SKU) and batch or lot number as required. We will position pallets no more than eighteen inches from any exterior or partition wall. Shrink-wrap machine driveways and work areas will stay clear.

1. Cargo Segregation, General Guidelines
   • We will not store food-grade products outside the warehouse.
   • We will place all materials in the warehouse on pallets. We must use Grade A new pallets for food-grade products to prevent storage hazards. Where bagged products rest on pallets, we will use slip sheets.
   • Consolidation shipments will be stowed in the designated consolidation shipment storage location.
   • Each warehouse will designate a section of the warehouse as a rework area. The rework area will have an assigned warehouse location, configured as a Quarantine location in the warehouse management system (WMS), so any product moved to the rework area will be placed on hold. Once the rework is complete, the product will be transferred to another location. This section will remain open and available for any cargo to be reworked.
   • Each warehouse will designate a section for the storage of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials will be sub-segregated in this area according to the shipping office’s Hazardous Materials Load and Segregation Chart.
   • Talc products are not to be commingled with bagged food products.
   • Plastic pallet covers will be placed on top of all food-grade products when they are placed in storage when cost is approved by the customer.
2. Organic Storage Requirements
   • All Organic Products will be identified as “Organic” in the SKU description on the pallet label.
   • Organic products must be separated from non-organic products by a clear buffer zone of not less than 3 feet to maintain the product’s organic integrity.
   • The Warehouse Manager will designate the storage location for all inbound organic products and monitor the area to ensure there is no commingling of organic and non-organic products in storage.
3. Palletization of Bagged Products
   • When stacked on pallets, a plastic or cardboard slip sheet will be placed under any bagged food products.
   • All bagged products will be shrink-wrapped with at least four wraps on top and bottom.
   • When stacking pallets, a slip sheet or suitable material will be placed under the second-tier pallet to prevent damage to the top-tier bags on the lower pallet.
4. Allergen Management
   • The Allergen Management Procedure is established to identify allergens and storage requirements.
5. Pest Control Storage Requirements
   • All pallets will be placed in the warehouse with a minimum clearance of 18 inches at all wall–floor junctions to facilitate the Pest Control Program and inspections.
   • Pest activity in storage areas with organic commodities will be monitored and defensed using organic pest control practices.
   • Adequate space between storage sections will be provided for cleaning and inspection.
   • When pallets of bagged food products are to be placed in storage for more than three months, snap traps will be placed around the pallets to monitor any potential rodent activity. Additional space between every other row is provided to monitor snap traps where they are used.
   • The location and quantity of snap traps used are documented as per the Snap Trap Procedure.
   • Each pallet will be closely inspected for any signs of rodent activity when picking orders. If droppings are found, the warehouse manager is to be immediately notified where the pallet affected was located.
   • If there is an indication of rodent activity, then pallets in the area will be placed on hold until the extent and source of the infestation can be investigated. As part of this investigation, pallets will be re-thrown and inspected bag by bag for rodent activity.
6. Stock Rotation
   • The 3PL warehouse management system defines the inventory method for each item to manage stock rotation on a FIFO, LIFO, or FEFO basis as per customer requirements.
   • This system allows for inventory management on a customer/item basis.
   • Expiration dates for food products will be registered in the WMS. The stock rotation of food products will then be managed by expiration date and then on a FIFO basis.
7. Long Term Storage
   • Items in storage for an extended period, over sixty days, will be inspected monthly to verify that the product is free of dust, debris, and cobwebs.
   • As an example, In Bond Sugar
   • The Warehouse Manager will identify items in long-term storage during the preparation and review of storage invoices.
   • The Warehouse Manager will prepare a list of areas to be inspected each month.
   • Items inspected the prior month will not be re-inspected in the current month to maintain a sixty-day inspection cycle.
   • Inspection of items in long-term storage will occur whenever possible during the first week of the month.
   • A Warehouse Inspection Form will be completed after items in long-term storage are inspected.
   • Housekeeping will address any deficiencies noted.
   • GWSI does not have any service for sampling food products. Any sampling of products will be performed by a 3rd party contracted by the cargo owner and approved by GWSI. Sampling work is to be completed in the Rework Area whenever possible.